Recently named as an Anchor Hospital for the state’s Rural Health Transformation process, Newman Regional Health is moving forward into the program.
Newman Regional has officially joined the program designed to expand resources and augment cooperation in rural healthcare. Chief Executive Officer Cathy Pimple says regional conversations with administrators of Coffey Health System, Greenwood County Hospital, Morris County Hospital and St Luke of the Flint Hills in Marion are beginning Wednesday.
Kansas received over $220 million over 5 years as part of the Rural Health Transformation program, which was developed as part of the Working Families Tax Cuts package and the One Big Beautiful reconciliation bill passed last year. The overall goal is to expand access, improve health outcomes and strengthen rural health systems by expanding prevention programs, strengthening local access to care, protecting “value-based care,” collecting data and fostering viable rural health employment options.
Anchor Hospitals, including Newman Regional and 9 other facilities across Kansas, were chosen for several factors, including service capability, regional reach and ability to support cities and towns within a 60-minute radius. Executive Director of Quality & Safety Ester Knobloch says it’s important to have top-quality care as close to home as possible.
Pimple sees positive economic and community impacts with the Anchor Hospital designation.
There are four strategic priority areas for anchor hospitals in the first year of the program: remote patient monitoring through expanding the use of wearable technologies; artificial intelligence and electronic health record “optimization;” bolstering rural residency programs in several high-need specialty areas; and on-demand support. Knobloch says hospital administrators are taking on the new responsibilities “very seriously” and are looking forward to being more “intentional” with their approach.
Rural Health Transformation is a 5-year program working through five overall goals: expanding prevention and “population health programs;” access to primary care; developing a sustainable rural health workforce; increasing use of data and technology; and developing support for “value-based” care models.
