We’re having a conversation about Medicaid Expansion with Dr. Jeff Bacon, Chief Medical Officer at Banner Health Sterling Regional MedCenter, Miso Lee, Ph.D., a Health Disparities Analyst at the University of Texas Medical Branch, and Carey Rivinius, who holds a degree in Doctor of Nursing Practice and is a Certified Family Nurse Practitioner at Jacobson Memorial Hospital and Elgin Community Clinic. Jeff, Miso and Carey were 2018-2019 Rural Health Fellows with the National Rural Health Association (NRHA), where they focused on Medicaid Expansion, culminating in a Policy Paper presented to and adapted by the NRHA Rural Health Congress.
“Rural hospitals and rural clinics are so incredibly important and they serve a great purpose in each community and our nation.”
Jeffery Bacon, D.O., is an experienced Family Physician with a demonstrated history of working in the hospital and healthcare industry. He is skilled in Clinical Research, Medical Education, Pediatrics, Medicine, and Emergency Medicine, and a strong healthcare services professional who graduated from A.T. Still University of Health Sciences.
Dr. Wei-Chen “Miso” Lee is a Health Disparities Analyst at The University of Texas Medical Branch. She completed her Ph.D. in Health Services Research (HSR) at Texas A&M Health Science Center. Her research interests lie in the area of rural health, ranging from discovering disparities in health outcomes to promoting workforce development. She is also a state-certified Community Health Worker (CHW) and CHW Instructor. She was honored to be the 2018 National Rural Health Fellow and currently, she serves as editorial board member for the Journal of Rural Health (JRH) as well as the advisory committee member for the Research on Care Community Health Equity Subgroup of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). Both doing research and serving in communities allow her to better understand the health issues and make a profound contribution to eliminating health disparities.
Carey Rivinius, DNP, FNP-C, is a healthcare provider in Elgin, ND. She practices acute and emergent care at Jacobson Memorial Hospital, a Critical Access Hospital and Level 5 trauma center. She takes call for the emergency department and hospital. She also provides primary care services at the Rural Health Clinic. Carey is a member of the facility’s trauma and stroke committees. She also serves as the Grant County Coroner. She has worked in rural health her entire career. Carey grew up on a ranch near Carson, ND and has lived in the area most of her life.
Additionally, Carey is adjunct faculty for the University of Mary DNP program. She is a member of the National Health Service Corps and completed a 2-year service commitment from 2009-2011. Carey received her MSN and FNP degree in 2008 from the University of Mary in Bismarck, ND, and her Doctorate of Nursing Practice degree in 2016 from Frontier Nursing University of Hyden, Kentucky.