August 5, 2025

Panel Discussion: Abundance Based Leadership in Rural Health: Strategies to Address Uncertainty in the Wake of OB3, August 22
With rising financial pressure and Medicaid uncertainties on the horizon, rural hospitals across the country are asking the same question: How do we survive what’s next – and still build toward a stronger future? What are the opportunities that we can implement now to care for our rural communities?
In this 90-minute session, the National Rural Health Association (NRHA) and a panel of rural health leaders will discuss what The One Big Beautiful Bill Act means for rural providers, how to navigate potential Medicaid cuts, and how to position your organization to thrive in a time of change. Brock Slabach, COO of NRHA, will open with key insights from his July conversations in Washington, D.C., followed by perspectives from rural hospital CEOs: Mary Ellen Pratt of St. James Parish Hospital, Benjamin Anderson of Hutchinson Regional Health System and Kevin DeRonde of Mahaska Health.
Topics Include:
- What the Rural Transformation Program could unlock and how to prepare,
- Navigating Medicaid uncertainty without losing momentum,
- Leveraging rural identity for recruitment, philanthropy, and strategic growth,
- Aligning culture, physicians, and operations during volatile times, and
- Turning an abundance mindset into a long-term competitive advantage and financial growth.
Takeaways Include:
- Aligning medical staff who are creative, engaged, and caring,
- Implementing specific recruitment and retention strategies,
- Growing and adding new rural services versus reducing services,
- Unlocking the massive benefits of performing a Strategic, Financial & Operational Assessment (SFOA),
- Implementing a culture that produces positive margins,
- Caring for the caregiver, and
- Identifying the difference between signal versus noise.
Cost: Free
When: Friday, August 22, 11:00 a.m.- 12:00 p.m.
NOTE: Participants are encouraged to watch the June session in advance and submit questions ahead of time to help shape the conversation.
Click Here to Watch June Session
Click Here to Register for August session