Rural Health News is a weekly segment of Rural Health Today, a podcast by Hillsdale Hospital.

News sources for this episode:

Mackenzie Bean, “Hospitals awarded new Medicare-funded residency slots: A breakdown,” January 28, 2026, https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/quality/hospital-physician-relationships/hospitals-awarded-new-medicare-funded-residency-slots-a-breakdown/, Becker’s Hospital Review.

Robin Rudowitz et al., “Medicaid: What to Watch in 2026,” January 23, 2026, https://www.kff.org/medicaid/medicaid-what-to-watch-in-2026/, KFF Health News.

American Red Cross, “Red Cross Declares Severe Shortage after Blood Supply Falls 35% in Past Month,” January 20, 2026, https://www.redcross.org/about-us/news-and-events/press-release/2026/red-cross-declares-shortage-after-blood-supply-falls-35-.html. 

Rural Health Today is a production of Hillsdale Hospital in Hillsdale, Michigan and a member of the Health Podcast Network. Our host is JJ Hodshire, our producer is Kyrsten Newlon, and our audio engineer is Kenji Ulmer. Special thanks to our special guests for sharing their expertise on the show, and also to the Hillsdale Hospital marketing team. If you want to submit a question for us to answer on the podcast or learn more about Rural Health Today, visit ruralhealthtoday.com.

In this episode, we’ll talk about the current outlook of healthcare in Michigan and beyond. With funding cuts and policy changes, hospitals are bracing for severe challenges ahead, but how can we address our concerns with our public and our state? We’ll talk about social health equity, the Rural Health Transformation Fund and of course, what it all has to do with rural health

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Rural Health News is a weekly segment of Rural Health Today, a podcast by Hillsdale Hospital.

News sources for this episode:

The White House, “The Great Healthcare Plan,” January 16, 2026, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUzNupJidq4.

The White House, “The Great Healthcare Plan,” January 2026, https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/The-Great-Healthcare-Plan.pdf.

Cynthia Cox, “The ‘Great Healthcare Plan’ Leaves Open Questions for People with Pre-existing Conditions,” January 16, 2026, https://www.kff.org/quick-take/the-great-healthcare-plan-leaves-open-questions-for-people-with-pre-existing-conditions/, KFF Health News.

Meredith Lee Hill et al., “Republicans will be hard-pressed to pass Trump’s ‘Great Healthcare Plan’,” January 20, 2026, https://www.politico.com/news/2026/01/20/trump-health-plan-congress-00734445, Politico.

Andrea Fox, “President Trump, Dr. Oz tout rural health IT investments,” January 20, 2026, https://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/president-trump-dr-oz-tout-rural-health-it-investments, Healthcare IT News.

The White House, “Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Celebrates the Great, Historic Investment in Rural Health,” January 16, 2026, https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2026/01/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-celebrates-the-great-historic-investment-in-rural-health/.

Alan Condon, “Congress pitches bipartisan health package: 8 things to know,” January 20, 2026, https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/hospital-management-administration/congress-pitches-bipartisan-health-package-8-things-to-know/?origin=BHRE&utm_source=BHRE&utm_medium=email&utm_content=newsletter&oly_enc_id=8018I7467278H7C, Becker’s Hospital Review.

Rural Health Today is a production of Hillsdale Hospital in Hillsdale, Michigan and a member of the Health Podcast Network. Our host is JJ Hodshire, our producer is Kyrsten Newlon, and our audio engineer is Kenji Ulmer. Special thanks to our special guests for sharing their expertise on the show, and also to the Hillsdale Hospital marketing team. If you want to submit a question for us to answer on the podcast or learn more about Rural Health Today, visit ruralhealthtoday.com.

Health policy is instrumental to how hospitals are equipped to serve their patients. In this episode, Chad Mulvany, healthcare consulting director at Forvis Mazars, will share his perspective on what’s going on in health policy and what to expect in the coming year. We’ll talk about federal finances, the future of insurance, and of course, what it all has to do with rural health. 

Hear the rest of JJ’s conversation with Chad on Achieving Health, a podcast from Forvis Mazars that helps healthcare professionals, executives and leaders drive better outcomes for their organizations and the communities they serve.

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Rural Health News is a weekly segment of Rural Health Today, a podcast by Hillsdale Hospital.

News sources for this episode:

Jared Ortaliza, “ACA Signups are Down, But Still an Incomplete Picture,” January 12, 2026, https://www.kff.org/quick-take/aca-signups-are-down-but-still-an-incomplete-picture/, KFF.

Sam Gringlas, “House votes to renew ACA subsidies, as Senate Republicans rebuke Trump on Venezuela,” January 8, 2026, https://www.npr.org/2026/01/08/nx-s1-5662625/house-vote-affordable-care-act-subsidies, National Public Radio.

America’s Health Rankings, “2025 Annual Report,” 2025, https://assets.americashealthrankings.org/ahr_2025annual_comprehensivereport_final-web.pdf. 

Elizabeth Gregerson, “Northwestern takes on its biggest rival in transplants: Time,” January 9, 2026, https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/quality/patient-safety-outcomes/northwestern-takes-on-its-biggest-rival-in-transplants-time/, Becker’s Hospital Review.

Mackenzie Bean, “Nation’s 1st double lung-liver transplant performed at Northwestern,” March 28, 2024, https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/quality/patient-safety-outcomes/nations-1st-double-lung-liver-transplant-performed-at-northwestern/, Becker’s Hospital Review.

American Lunch Association, “Lung Transplant,” December 10, 2025, https://www.lung.org/lung-health-diseases/lung-procedures-and-tests/lung-transplant.

Tanmay S. Panchabhai et al., “Historical perspectives of lung transplantation: connecting the dots,” July 31, 2018, https://jtd.amegroups.org/article/view/22674/html, Journal of Thoracic Disease.

Rural Health Today is a production of Hillsdale Hospital in Hillsdale, Michigan and a member of the Health Podcast Network. Our host is JJ Hodshire, our producer is Kyrsten Newlon, and our audio engineer is Kenji Ulmer. Special thanks to our special guests for sharing their expertise on the show, and also to the Hillsdale Hospital marketing team. If you want to submit a question for us to answer on the podcast or learn more about Rural Health Today, visit ruralhealthtoday.com.

Every day, there’s a new alarming headline for healthcare. In this episode, we’ll explore the most pressing and lasting issues in governmental affairs for healthcare. Travis Robey, vice president of political affairs at the American Hospital Association, will share how the failure to extend enhanced premium tax credits is impacting reimbursement, what to expect to see in rural health legislation in 2026, and of course, what it all has to do with rural health

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https://www.linkedin.com/company/american-hospital-association/ https://www.facebook.com/ahahospitals

Rural Health News is a weekly segment of Rural Health Today, a podcast by Hillsdale Hospital.

Rural Health Today is a production of Hillsdale Hospital in Hillsdale, Michigan and a member of the Health Podcast Network. Our host is JJ Hodshire, our producer is Kyrsten Newlon, and our audio engineer is Kenji Ulmer. Special thanks to our special guests for sharing their expertise on the show, and also to the Hillsdale Hospital marketing team. If you want to submit a question for us to answer on the podcast or learn more about Rural Health Today, visit ⁠ruralhealthtoday.com⁠.

From emergency rooms to board rooms, systems of healthcare rely on credible and continuous data. In this episode, Jim Lee, Senior Vice President of Data Policy and Analytics at the Michigan Health and Hospital Association, will provide valuable insight into how data is linked to patient care and policy. We’ll talk about AI, advocacy, and of course, what it all has to do with rural health. 

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Follow Jim Lee on social media!

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Rural Health News is a weekly segment of Rural Health Today, a podcast by Hillsdale Hospital.

News sources for this episode:

Ella Jeffries, “CMS approves rural health awards for all 50 states,” December 29, 2025, https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/financial/cms-awards-50b-to-states-for-rural-health-transformation/, Becker’s Hospital Review.

CMS.gov, “CMS Announces Establishment of the Office of Rural Health Transformation,” December 29, 2025, https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/press-releases/cms-announces-establishment-office-rural-health-transformation/

Erica Cerutti, “ED boarding in 2025: 4 notes,” December 29, 2025, https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/care-coordination/ed-boarding-in-2025-4-notes/, Becker’s Hospital Review.

Kara Gavin, “Wait times for emergency hospitalization keep getting higher,” August 4, 2025, https://www.michiganmedicine.org/health-lab/wait-times-emergency-hospitalization-keep-getting-higher, Michigan Medicine.

Ella Jeffries, “Judge blocks 340B rebate pilot program,” December 29, 2025, https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/pharmacy/judge-blocks-340b-rebate-pilot-program/, Becker’s Hospital Review.

Elizabeth S. Eaton, “’Threadbare administrative record’: Federal judge stops 340B rebate pilot,” December 30, 2025, https://firstwordpharma.com/story/7022857, FirstWord Pharma.

Rural Health Today is a production of Hillsdale Hospital in Hillsdale, Michigan and a member of the Health Podcast Network. Our host is JJ Hodshire, our producer is Kyrsten Newlon, and our audio engineer is Kenji Ulmer. Special thanks to our special guests for sharing their expertise on the show, and also to the Hillsdale Hospital marketing team. If you want to submit a question for us to answer on the podcast or learn more about Rural Health Today, visit ruralhealthtoday.com.

Happy 2026, Rural Health Today listeners! In this holiday episode, Producer Kyrsten Newlon will recap the past year of podcasting, offer a few hints at what’s to come in 2026, and recognize the individuals who have contributed to the show this year.

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