2025 SRAM President’s Address: Healing Communities, Transforming Rural Healthcare
Today marked the commencement of the 2025 IHA Small & Rural Hospitals Annual Meeting, where hospital leaders from across Illinois gathered to celebrate the contributions and achievements of the small and rural hospital community. 
 
A.J. Wilhelmi, IHA President and CEO, delivered the keynote address, expressing deep gratitude to Illinois’ small and rural hospital leaders for their steadfast commitment to care. He highlighted the innovative and transformative ways these hospitals are reshaping healthcare delivery in their communities and improving lives throughout the state.
 
“Your work is about more than delivering care — it's about healing communities. Whether through behavioral health services, maternal care, chronic disease management, or health education – you are restoring hope, building trust, and responding to the needs of the whole person,” said Wilhelmi. “Time and again, I’ve seen your unwavering commitment — not only to meeting patient needs, but to solving the toughest challenges facing rural healthcare today.”

Wilhelmi acknowledged the rapidly evolving nature of healthcare, underscoring both the challenges and opportunities it presents—especially for small and rural hospitals. He praised their resilience, innovation, and deep-rooted commitment to healing communities by providing high-quality, accessible care. He also reaffirmed IHA’s support for small and rural hospitals:

“We are committed to helping you navigate complex policy environments, seize emerging opportunities, and drive transformation in how care is delivered across rural Illinois. By working together and speaking with a unified voice, the Illinois hospital community has advanced meaningful policy that expands access and strengthens the health of our communities. As Small and Rural Hospital Leaders, your voice has been critical in that effort and our collective success.”
 

See IHA’s X, Facebook and LinkedIn pages for more about the annual meeting.

Strategies to Enhance Behavioral Health at IHA Small & Rural Meeting
Facing rising demand for mental health services, rural hospitals and health systems have developed programs—supported by grant funding and community partnerships—to meet the pressing need for care among both adults and youth.

Leaders from four hospitals and health systems shared their successful approaches to delivering mental health services in rural communities at the 2025 Small & Rural Hospitals Annual Meeting in Springfield today.

Memorial Health’s mobile crisis response travels to rural areas and serves an average of 350 people a month. Crisis specialists reach people in need in about 30 minutes, and nine in 10 those served receive follow-up care within a week. Grant funding and community partnerships support the program.

“We have people with lived experience on this team, which provides a really unique level of experience,” said Emily Legner, LCPC, Director of Behavioral Health at Memorial Health. “This is really helpful in encouraging people to engage and know they aren’t alone—and there is hope.”

Lincoln Memorial Hospital’s Railer Reach Out program addresses high rates of mental health concerns and substance use among teens in survey data. With initial grant funding from the Illinois Critical Access Hospital Network, the program sends high school freshman mental health-themed text messages twice a month to reach them where they are—on their phones.

“One of the biggest challenges we have is limited capacity,” said Molly McCain, MSW, Community Health Consultant at Lincoln Memorial Hospital, when asked about the barriers she has encountered. “We rely on collaboration with our community partners and also within the school.”

Memorial Hospital Association also targets youth mental health with its Strengthening Minds, Building Futures mobile rural health clinic. The program has engaged eight schools and reduced missed appointments from up to 40% in clinic vs. 11% for the mobile unit. Grant funding and community donations support the program.

“Our community has such a heart. We have a community that really understand the needs and has a passion to support our kids, and that’s one of the ways we’re building a bridge to care,” said Ada Bair, CEO of Memorial Hospital Association. 

Horizon Health put a grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration toward training emergency medical services (EMS) personnel on substance use disorders, co-occurring disorders and mental health disorders. The program targets recruitment and retention of rural EMS staff and reduces stigma among patients.

“It’s going to take all of us working together to find the solution to address mental health,” said Samantha McCarty, BSN, RN, PHRN, Director of Emergency Services at Horizon Health. “Reach outside of your walls, spend the extra time, find those in your organization who are passionate about this and empower with them tools and resources the need to make an impact.”

See IHA’s X, Facebook and LinkedIn pages for more about the annual meeting.

Senate HELP Committee Releases Budget Reconciliation Bill Text
The U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee yesterday released its language for the budget reconciliation bill. The text includes a single healthcare-related provision: funding for cost-sharing reduction (CSR) payments to insurers participating in Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplaces. In addition to the CSR provision, the bill proposes changes to federal student loan and repayment programs. Notably, it would eliminate the Grad PLUS loan program effective July 1, 2026. The bill also modifies the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program for new borrowers, excluding time spent in medical or dental residency from counting toward qualifying loan repayment. The Senate Finance Committee is expected to release its language in the coming days, which is expected to include additional healthcare provisions.