03/24/2026
The NAMIHP Rural Health Transformation Legislative Panel took place yesterday, moderated by Brenden Hayden, with Chris Malagrida and Jen Femino sharing valuable insights from their decades advocating in the community health and MIH spaces and advising Summit attendees on how to best position their programs to participate in opportunities.
The big takeaways:
1. Relationships are key. Inviting legislators and decision-makers to see firsthand how programs function, the impact on patients and communities, the difference between MIH care and emergency response, will provide the foundation for substantive discussions in the future.
2. Find your partners. In this rapidly evolving environment, organizations with proven competency in specific aspects of care in place - care coordination, delivery, technology, administration - can and should collaborate, turning theory to blueprints.
3. Measure everything. Data, outcomes, patient stories are crucial in demystifying the various nuanced programs, showing immediate value and the path to sustainability.
We in MIH must lead the conversations, educating Legislators, payors, health systems and advocates on how MIH answers so many of the challenges in our current health care system, from access to capacity to specialty to staffing. The RHTP calls for innovation, and as Chris, Jen and Brendan emphasized to Summit attendees, the time is now for MIH programs to demonstrate why we are the answer.