Category Archive

Dr. Steve Barnett has been the President & CEO at McKenzie Health System in Sandusky, MI, since 2008. During this time Steve has shifted the culture of the organization such that they now embrace change. McKenzie Health System is recognized in Michigan as a Critical Access Hospital that is progressive in re-designing how healthcare can be delivered. Steve is a … Read More

Kris Allen is the Vice President of Patient Services at Eaton Rapids Medical Center in Eaton Rapids, Michigan, just south of Lansing, Michigan. Kris has been in healthcare for over 15 years as a registered nurse. She quickly moved through the ranks and built the respect and trust from all the individuals of the healthcare team and was the driver … Read More

Brock Slabach is leading the national discussion on quality improvement and alternative payment models in rural health. Earlier this year Brock was awarded the Calico Leadership award by the National Rural Health Resource Center. Brock currently serves as the Senior Vice-President of Member Services at the National Rural Health Association, a membership organization with over 21,000 members nationwide. With over … Read More

RD Williams is the CEO at Hendry Regional Medical Center, a critical access hospital located in Clewiston, FL. Prior to that he was the CEO at Ashe Memorial Hospital in Jefferson, NC. He received his undergraduate degree from the Medical College of Virginia with a B.S. in Healthcare Management in 1981, and earned his MBA from the Virginia Commonwealth University … Read More

Recognized as among the top 100 most influential people in healthcare by Modern Healthcare Magazine, Alan Morgan serves as Chief Executive Officer for the National Rural Health Association.  He has more than 26 years’ experience in health policy development at the state and federal level, and is one of the nation’s leading experts on rural health policy. As the CEO … Read More

The conversation with Mayor Adam O’Neal of Belhaven, NC, continues. Mayor O’Neal is a tenacious fighter for rural hospitals as demonstrated in his story about the plight of his community’s efforts to reopen their closed hospital. “…when you’re talking healthcare, especially in the aspect of a hospital, you’re talking about people getting lifesaving services that they need,” said Mayor O’Neal. … Read More

Mayor Adam O’Neal, Mayor of Belhaven, NC, received national attention for walking 273 miles to Washington, DC, in protest of the closing of Belhaven’s only hospital. “This is the difference between our children having life-saving services or not,” said Mayor O’Neal. Mayor O’Neal’s story is both tragic and inspirational.

In this first episode of Rural Health Leadership Radio, Dr. Bill Auxier explains why he created this weekly podcast. Inspired by a conversation with the CEO of a critical access hospital in Florida, it became clear that a simple, no cost channel of communication for rural health leaders to share what is working, what is not working, stories of success … Read More