Pictured, from left, in Washington, D.C. are John M. Starcher Jr., Dr. Cliff A. Megerian, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Edward Herrman, and Ken Westman.
Riverwood Healthcare Center is making its voice heard at both the state and national levels as leaders advocate for the future of rural health care.
U.S. Senator Tina Smith recently visited Riverwood to gain a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing rural hospitals. During her visit, she met with leadership and clinical staff to discuss the devastating impact of potential federal and state funding cuts, such as cuts to the Medicaid program, on patient care and healthcare facilities in Greater Minnesota.
Riverwood CEO Ken Westman was invited to Washington, D.C. to meet with the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and top leaders at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). Westman joined three other hospital CEOs from across the nation for this meeting including Edward (Eddie) Herrman, President & CEO, Hays Med, Kansas; Cliff A. Megerian, MD, CEO, University Hospitals, Cleveland, OH; and John M. Starcher, Jr., President & CEO, Member of the Board of Directors, Bon Secours Mercy Health, spanning seven states (Florida, Kentucky, Maryland, New York, Ohio, South Carolina, and Virginia).
Westman presented on the Headwaters High Value Network (HVN) model—a collaborative, value-based care approach and clinically integrated network designed to improve health outcomes while reducing costs in rural communities.
Discussion topics included:
• The hospital’s evolving role in Making America Healthy Again (MAHA)
• Reducing administrative burden to empower health care providers
• Leveraging AI and digital health for 21st-century care delivery
• Modernizing incentives to create shared accountability “MAHA Skin in the Game”
“These conversations are critical to ensuring that rural voices are part of national health care reform,” Westman said. “We’re proud to showcase the innovation happening at Riverwood and in rural Minnesota and advocate for policies that support the patients and communities we serve.”
Riverwood continues to lead through its work with the Minnesota Hospital Association and its participation in the Headwaters HVN, positioning rural healthcare systems as a driving force in the future of health delivery in the U.S.