Category Archive

Chris Clayton appeared as a guest on Meet the Press with Chuck Todd after the last presidential election to help explain how Donald Trump became the 45th President of the United States of America.  Rural America made the difference.  Chris is the Policy Editor and Interim Markets Editor for DTN/The Progressive Farmer, where he has worked since 2005. He has … Read More

Joy Williams has spent the last six years working with a faith-based organization that helps improve health capacity in rural areas. Now she is writing a book about faith and patient advocacy while completing her Master’s of Divinity at Wake Forest University in Winston Salem. She has hands on experience educating rural populations on healthier living by teaching them how … Read More

Peggy Wheeler is the Vice President of the Rural Healthcare Center at the California Hospital Association. Peggy also serves on the National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services, which is an independent advisory body to the Department of Health and Human Services on issues related to how the department and its programs serve rural communities. “Rural healthcare is … Read More

Pat Schou is the Executive Director of the Illinois Critical Access Hospital Network and the Illinois Rural Community Care Organization. She was recognized for being among the Top 25 Women in Leadership for Peoria, Illinois in 2013, received a Women of Distinction award in Illinois Valley in 2013, and was recognized as the 2014 Illinois Rural Hero by the National … Read More

Toniann Richard is the CEO of Health Care Collaborative of Rural Missouri (HCC). HCC is a rural health network dedicated to developing and implementing programs to respond to the health needs of local residents. Toniann also serves as the President of the Missouri Rural Health Association. Among many accomplishments, Toniann has raised more than $12 million in grant funding since … Read More

Nikki King is an Administrative Fellow at Margaret Mary Health, a critical access hospital in Batesville, Indiana. She was raised in the coalfields of Central Appalachia, and graduated with a degree in Economics from the University of Kentucky. Nikki has combined her life experiences with formal training to help communicate the challenges facing rural America on both the regional and … Read More

Joanie Perkins serves as the Chief Compliance Officer at North Sunflower Medical Center, a critical access hospital in Ruleville, Mississippi. Her love for medicine stemmed from her mother, who worked as an emergency room registered nurse in Dayton, Ohio, and would come home and tell her children stories about what had transpired throughout her day. This sparked a love of … Read More

Dr. Mark Hamed serves as Medical Director of the Departments of Emergency and Hospitalist Medicine at McKenzie Health System, a critical access hospital in Sandusky, Michigan. He made a huge impact on the local community when he spearheaded an “Oxy-Free” ED initiative in 2013 to combat the opiate abuse epidemic. “You have to have a vision and a passion for … Read More

Gordon Bonnyman is co-founder of the Tennessee Justice Center, a non-profit public interest law firm serving vulnerable Tennesseans in cases involving healthcare and individual clients, many of whom reside in rural areas. Gordon has represented thousands of individual clients, and has written and lectured extensively on health policy. He has testified before Congress, argued before the Supreme Court and advised … Read More

Craig Webb is Chairman of the governing board of Kirby Medical Center, a 16-bed critical access hospital in Monticello, Illinois. Craig is originally from Springfield, Illinois, and has an extensive background in retail, holding many positions including management, marketing and ownership. Currently, Craig works in engineering, and has been on the board of Kirby Medical Center since 1993, when he … Read More