On Rural Health Leadership Radio, we are always discussing innovation in rural healthcare, and this week our conversation is through the lens of the new Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) model. We are delighted to welcome Anna Anna who serves as the Program Director at the Rural Health Redesign Center (RHRCO) and works to promote access to quality healthcare in rural communities. In our conversation, Anna discusses the REH model and shares her insights on how hospitals can make a successful conversion, and what it means to their communities. Learn more about how organizations like RHRC can help rural hospitals on their website here!
“Although the Rural Emergency Hospital’s Designation is new, it’s already saved hospitals from closure”
-Anna Anna
Anna Anna is a transformational leader and Registered Nurse with 30 years of experience in rural healthcare. Anna’s position at the Rural Health Redesign Center includes the role of Program Director for the Rural Emergency Hospital Technical Assistance Center. In her role, Anna works directly with hospitals throughout the country exploring the Rural Emergency Hospital as a possible pathway to maintain healthcare in their communities. Before this role, Anna held positions in hospital leadership for over 20 years, including Chief Nursing Officer and Chief Executive Officer. Anna has a Master's in Healthcare Administration and is a Board Certified Nurse Executive
Looking to test your knowledge of rural health? This episode of Rural Health Leadership Radio is exactly what you need! Join Sydney and Bill as they put their rural health expertise to the test with a series of trivia questions. Covering topics from community health workers to rural health clinics, this episode is full of learning. Listen in, play along, and see how much you know about rural health.
“This was a wonderful way to learn. Good conversations, learning, and research were done by all of us today.”
Sydney Grant
Securing a healthier future for rural communities begins with the engagement of our younger generations. This week, we're thrilled to host three emerging leaders on Rural Health Leadership Radio: Jenah McCarty, Hallie Vonk, and Nick Lembezeder. These graduate students from the University of Iowa's College of Public Health share their journey in founding the inaugural Student Association for Rural Health (SARH) and outline the organization's objectives. Throughout the episode, they reflect on SARH's influence on themselves and their peers and offer guidance for students aspiring to establish similar organizations.
“The Student Association for Rural Health is reinvigorating individual’s passion for rural health, and sharing that passion with the next generation of leaders so we can create a better future for rural health”
-Hallie Vonk
Nick is a second-year Master of Public Health of Public Health student at the University of Iowa and Co-Programming and Events chair for the SARH. He is from Peosta, Iowa, and spent four years in Decorah Iowa completing his bachelor’s in Classical Studies and Biology at Luther College. This fall Nick will be attending the University of Iowa’s Carver College of Medicine and hopes to practice medicine in rural Iowa.
Jenah McCarty is a Master of Public Health and Master of Health Administration student at the University of Iowa, and President of SARH. She is also an intern with Rural Health Leadership Radio. Jenah completed her undergraduate at the University of Iowa in Public Health and Human Relations. Jenah grew up in rural Iowa, which sparked her passion for rural health.
Hallie Vonk is a Master of Health Administration student at the University of Iowa and Co-Programming and Events chair for the SARH. She was raised in Hinton, Iowa, and completed her undergraduate degree in Health and Human Physiology at the University of Iowa. Hallie found an interest in rural health during her graduate program, highlighting the advantage of personal connections in rural communities.
In this episode of Rural Health Leadership Radio, Karen Cheeseman, CEO of Mackinac Straits Health System in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, shares her journey from an HR role to leading a hospital system. In our discussion with Karen, she highlights collaborative relationships in the communities Mackinac Straights Health System serves including how they integrate tribal medicine into a small hospital. Karen shares the story of a newly built facility thanks to innovative ideas and a land donation by the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians.
“We’re addressing the care needs in a very comprehensive way in the community, including tribal medicine”
-Karen Cheeseman
Karen has served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Mackinac Straits Health System since 2017. Previously, Karen worked for the health system for many years and held various leadership roles including the Chief Operating Officer and the Chief Human Resource Officer. Karen holds a master's degree in Organizational Management from Spring Arbor University and a Bachelor’s degree in Human Resource Management from Michigan State University. Karen currently serves on the Michigan Health and Hospital Association Board of Directors. She has served as the Upper Peninsula Hospital Council Chair, the Small and Rural Health Council, and the Legislative Policy Panel for MHA. Karen is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives.