Janae Wright

In June 2026, Sturgis Hospital in rural Michigan stopped seeing patients. The hospital had already converted to Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) status in 2023, a Medicare designation created to preserve emergency and outpatient access when inpatient care is no longer financially sustainable. It had also used state and local support. Still, leadership cited declining reimbursement, rising costs, and falling utilization, and the doors closed. That outcome matters far beyond one Michigan county....

A landmark $50 billion investment is set to reshape the landscape of rural healthcare in America. The new Rural Health Transformation Program from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is a five-year initiative designed to empower states to build more sustainable, innovative, and accessible healthcare systems for their rural communities. This isn't just another grant program; it's a fundamental opportunity to address long-standing challenges and build a healthier future for...

I remember caring for a local farmer who had a major knee replacement at a regional medical center 100 miles away. His family was...