Michelle RathmanEvery podcast appearance, updated as new ones drop

Heidi and Joel Heitkamp welcome Michelle Rathman and Jeanne Lambrew to discuss their expert insights on the future of rural hospitals, premium tax credits, Medicaid, and nursing care, as well as how community leaders and healthcare workers are responding to looming changes. Heidi and Joel explore how rural Americans can advocate for better healthcare policies and learn about the essential connections between food security, workforce issues, and local economic development. Join us on The Hot Dish every other week, where we serve up hearty conversations that resonate with every corner of the country. The Hot Dish is brought to you by the One Country Project, making sure the voices of the rest of us are heard in Washington. To learn more, visit https://onecountryproject.org or find us at https://onecountryproject.substack.com/. (05:33) - Michelle Rathman and Jeanne Lambrew discuss how food security impacts rural communities during this healthcare scare (11:39) - Hosts Heidi and Joel Heitkamp discuss the rural challenges of immigration and aging in light of the government shutdown of rural healthcare (18:09) - Michelle Rathman talks about her deep skepticism of the Rural Health Fund (24:15) - Hosts and guests debate how much higher healthcare and coverage costs will impact rural families (34:32) - Heidi and Jeanne emphasize how important it will be to repair divisions between the parties through facts instead of disinformation (43:12) - Hosts discuss how the second No Kings protest defends Democracy at a very important time

Send a text Join us as we interview Michelle Rathman. Michelle founded Impact! Communications, Inc., in 1989. For over 30 years, Impact! has provided a broad range of strategic advisory, decision support, communications, and creative solutions to healthcare organizations, including urban and rural hospitals, health clinics, and community health centers. Michelle and her team bring experience and expertise that has helped several rural hospitals gain public support to invest millions into much-needed facility improvements while designing and implementing patient and staff recruitment and retention programs. Beyond bricks and mortar, Impact! is focused on helping rural hospitals and health organizations reverse their outmigration, increase utilization of local care, and position rural hospitals and health systems to thrive through effective community engagement and partnerships. Michelle is also a long-standing member of the National Rural Health Association, including serving on its Policy Congress, and has worked with the National Rural Health Resource Center, National Rural Recruitment and Retention Network, and for eight years, worked with the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health to help transform National Rural Health Day from a moment to a movement. Finally, Michelle is also a passionate podcaster, launching The Rural Impact in 2023 - where she works to connect the dots between policy and rural everything. Connect with Melissa @ - https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissagwilson/ Connect with Billy @ - https://www.linkedin.com/in/billydexter/ Connect with John @ https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-st-augustine-1b3192/

Welcome to a compelling new episode of The Hot Dish, where today's discussion magnifies the vital role of rural America in our nation’s fabric and the pressing issues it faces. Our hosts, Heidi and Joel Heitkamp, along with our distinguished guests, delve into topics that resonate deeply with our theme of engaging actively and voting FOR solutions. Michelle Rathman, a renowned rural health strategist, discusses her dedication to improving healthcare in rural communities. From tackling healthcare workforce shortages to boosting technology and funding for rural healthcare initiatives, Michelle's insights provide a blueprint for revitalizing health services and extending life expectancy in these critical areas. You can hear Michelle's podcast, The Rural Impact , wherever you get your podcasts. Then, we shift gears to hear from Adam Frisch, a congressional candidate with deep roots in the diverse rural landscape of Colorado's third district. Adam shares his journey from a city council person to a congressional hopeful, emphasizing the importance of representing local interests over national debates. From energy and agriculture to the challenges of local politics, they encourage an informed and proactive approach to voting that supports forward-thinking and community-focused leadership. Make sure to tune into this insightful exploration of policy, leadership, and the pivotal impact of rural America on the national stage. Join us on The Hot Dish, where we serve up hearty conversations that resonate with every corner of the country. To learn more, visit https://onecountryproject.com and register for the upcoming Rural Progress Summit virtual event in June at https://onecountryproject.com/rural-progress-summit-2024. (00:00) - - Introduction (03:09) - - Michelle Rathman, host of The Rural Impact podcast, discusses rural health issues (09:05) - - Heidi interviews Adam Frisch, candidate for Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District (24:30) - - Heidi and Joel discuss motherhood and rural progression (30:35) - - Heidi and Joel discuss Rural Progress Summit virtual event (34:15) - - Conclusion

Michelle Rathman is the founder of Impact Communications, Inc. a healthcare strategy and communications company. Since 1997 she has worked with rural health clinics, state offices of rural health and rural hospitals. Michelle helps facilitate transformation in healthcare settings across the US. She is also the host of the Rural Impact Podcast which tries to connect the dots between policy and rural issues. Episode overview: 01.00 Why did Michelle start a communications company and choose to work with rural providers? 05.45 What is healthcare strategy and communications? 07.45 What are the insights Michelle has gained through her work? 11.05 What are the challenges for rural communities in the US and how does communication help? 17.00 What made her decide to start the Rural Impact Podcast? 22.15 What topics will the podcast be covering in the future? 26.00 How do we help communities understand policy? 31.00 How to shape messages for the community and how for policymakers? 35.15 Current projects or recommendations Key messages: Rural-academic partnership pilot program which helped to keep a rural hospital open. Any challenge that a healthcare entity faces, the root of it is often communications. Coumunication is often an afterthought. Imperative that rural communities understand the value of their healthcare system and that staff members are able to communicate with the people they serve in a way that is meaningful. Rural health on life-support: many people never realize the dire situation in rural health in the US. Rural health is an intricate part of healthcare, if it does not succeed then the US can not succeed in the realm of healthcare. Workforce shortages - without a pathway, there is no pipeline. You do not just wake up one morning as a physician and think "I will do rural health". Non-clinical positions are also really important, these are usually local people, they need to be aware of these job options. An increased number of vulnerable rural hospitals are closing their doors. Finances and reimbursement are challenging. Policy needs to be at the center of the conversation around rural healthcare. Over a million children without any health insurance coverage at the moment in the US. Advocacy is one of the most important tools that we have. All roads to a quality life are paved with policies. Where is policy working? Showcase the promising practices. It is important to know who represents you and to understand where that person stands on the issues that are important to you. Write letters to your representatives, tell them why things are important for your community, it is important for them to see and understand. Telling your stories is important, invite policymakers to your community. Tell them the solutions that you think are most likely to help with the challenges you face. If people are not understanding you, then you have to find another way to tell them. It is important to understand who you are talking to. What information is "need to know" and how will it impact them. For policymakers: share a story then give data or a stats sheet with information about what it is, how it is going to be used and how it will benefit their constituents. " The Providers " - a documentary 100% community: ensuring 10 vital services for surviving and thriving (book) - related to work in New Mexico. Michell

Prioritizing health became an important message for Michelle Rathman after being diagnosed with malignant melanoma. As President and CEO of Impact! Communications, Inc. a busy public relations, marketing and consulting firm, Michelle often worked with well-known authors, including Wayne Dyer and Deepak Chopra. These authors and many others introduced her to the world of holistic health. After a time she realized it was time to take her own advice and ensure her health was a top priority. In doing so, she visited a dermatologist and was diagnosed with malignant melanoma. Her experience as a patient is the catalyst for her work and passion to improve healthcare culture – both for caregivers and receivers. She hopes to provide healthcare leaders with new insight into the patient’s personal experience and explore what needs to be done to ensure that others don’t experience what she endured. Listen to Michelle as she walks you through her experience that forever changed how she sees healthcare fueling her passion to impact the healthcare community through her work, every single day. Michelle’s Bio Impact! Communications, Inc.