Rural Health Today

We've talked quite a bit about provider recruitment challenges that rural hospitals face, and discussed on a previous episode developing a talent pipeline for nurse practitioners. Today, we are talking big picture about the role nurse practitioners play in our total continuum of care. Our guest today is April Kapu, President of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners.

The patient experience is not a new topic for healthcare, for rural hospitals or even for this podcast. But it’s so central to what we do and it’s a little unique in the rural environment. To dive deeper into this topic, we're talking this week to Lori Strahm, Director of Patient Experience and Strategic Partnerships for Parkview Health.

This week, JJ and Rachel sit down to talk about mergers, acquisitions and the consolidation of healthcare services in America. In addition, they examine recent data released by the Treasury Department's State of Labor Market Competition Report, and how it relates to rural health and healthcare. State of Labor Market Competition Report: https://home.treasury.https://drive.google.com/file/d/146qC2uL...

We talk about healthcare policy often, and when we talk about long-term financial stability for rural hospitals, we’re usually talking about federal policy as it relates to reimbursements, payment structures, etc. But state-level healthcare policy also has a significant impact on rural hospitals. Our guest today is state Rep. Bronna Kahle serving Michigan’s 57th district.  

We know chronic disease is a major concern in rural America, often coming on Community Health Needs Assessments as a key priority area with diabetes in particular. Is diabetes more prevalent in rural communities? What contributes to that? To help us answer these questions, we welcome Denise Lovinger, Director of Outpatient Dietician Programs here at Hillsdale Hospital.

Recruiting has never been a hotter topic in healthcare than it is today. Hospitals across the country are plagued with staffing shortages. In addition to recruiting new staff, advancing the staff we already have is a key strategy, particularly in rural healthcare. Our guest this week is Sarah Butler, Director of Behavioral Heath Services & Nurse Practitioner here at Hillsdale Hospital.

This week, JJ and Rachel sit down to talk about how the rural healthcare industry will look as we start to move past the pandemic.

Rural hospital leaders are more than just administrators keeping their own hospitals and healthcare services running—many of them are using their voices to be rural health advocates, speaking out on issues that affect all of us in rural healthcare. We’re speaking with someone who has worked hard in his position as a rural hospital CEO to promote the needs of rural healthcare, to the benefit of all...

To provide the best possible patient care in today’s environment, hospitals and healthcare providers must have a strong IT infrastructure with systems to manage and support every part of patient care, which often comes at a high cost. This week, we’re speaking with someone who has a great deal of experience navigating the IT infrastructure of hospitals and helping them to establish the right platf...

This week, JJ and Rachel discuss the ever rising costs that travel nursing agencies are charging to fill staffing shortages in hospitals and the domino-effect that has on health care.  

The healthcare industry is not homogenous and rural hospitals know that better than anyone. Legislations that paint with a broad brush often leaves rural hospitals unsupported at best and disadvantaged at worst. This week, we welcome Josh Jorgensen, Government Affairs & Policy Director for the National Rural Heath Association, who engages in the important work of advocating for rural health on a d...

This week we welcome a passionate advocate for rural health who continually brings awareness to the healthcare challenges, successes and opportunities facing rural America. Our guest today is Carrie Cochran-McClain, Chief Policy Officer for the National Rural Health Association.

There is so much in healthcare that we as leaders need to understand and keep track of to do our jobs effectively. Whether it’s trends in technology, best practices, proposed legislation or anything else, we need to know what’s going on in our industry. Our guest today is Scott Becker, Publisher of Becker’s Healthcare.

We’ve been talked about staffing challenges for months now in healthcare. The COVID-19 pandemic just accelerated a trend we were already seeing before the pandemic—we knew nursing shortages were coming and then the pandemic brought that on much earlier than anticipated. This week, we talk to someone who is in the thick of this right now. We’re happy to have back with us Meghan Campbell, Chief Nurs...

In rural healthcare, we are constantly working with our elected officials and advocating for the needs of our rural hospitals and communities. This week, we welcome back US Rep. Tim Walberg, representing Michigan's seventh congressional district for an update from our nation's capitol.

In rural healthcare, we are constantly evaluating at the landscape all around us, beyond just rural heath. This includes working with our elected officials, which plays a huge role in shaping the landscape of rural healthcare and our communities. This week, we welcome back Rep. Andrew Fink to discuss the issues that are impacting rural health and rural communities.

In rural health, we tend to have a very close relationship with our patients and our communities because we are always caring for our neighbors, our family, and our friends. These relationships are very close and meaningful. This week, we talk about the process in place to ensure that we are responding to the unique challenges in our own community when it comes to their important health. Our guest...

Employee engagement is a major focus of hospitals around the country, especially rural hospitals because it is central to how patients are cared for each and everyday. This week, we welcome back Josh Stafford for part two of our interview.

The experience a patient and their family has with a hospital or healthcare provider can affect a multitude of things including clinical outcomes, patient loyalty, and even reimbursement for healthcare services. Success in each of these areas is critical to the survival of rural hospitals. Our guest today is Josh Stafford, Account Director at Press Ganey.

This week JJ and Rachel give us an update on the vaccine mandate. We discuss the complex and often overlooked outcomes a mandate has on a rural hospital as well as the community it serves.

This week, JJ and Rachel look back and reflect on an eventful 2021 as well as look forward to what the future holds for Hillsdale Hospital.

This week, JJ and Rachel discuss the role faith plays in making a decision on vaccination, something that can be difficult to talk about in the effort to encourage more people to get vaccinated. To help navigate us through this complex topic, our guest today is Reverend Lucas Miller, Pastoral Care Director here at Hillsdale Hospital.

This week, JJ and Rachel discuss hospital safety ratings and how they might not be as helpful as they sound.

The opioid crisis in America is something that is impactful in each community in our nation. It affects our rural healthcare systems, communities and health outcomes. This week, we are talking with someone who is passionate about ending this epidemic. Our guest today is JJ Fontana, CRNA at the Center for Pain Management at Hillsdale Hospital.

We've often discussed how critical rural healthcare is as a pillar of rural economies. But strong rural economies are equally important to rural healthcare. Today we are talking to someone with quite a track record of developing rural economies by making them great places to live. Our guest today is Jaime Medlock, President and CEO of Group Stellar.