About Michigan Center for Rural Health
To coordinate, plan, and advocate for improved health for Michigan's rural residents and communities.
Focus Areas
Rural healthPrimary careHospital programsWorkforce developmentEmergency medical servicesContinuing educationHealth equitySocial drivers of healthMaternal healthChronic kidney disease
About Michigan Center for Rural Health
Michigan Center for Rural Health’s grantmaking is built around rural health systems and workforce pipelines in Michigan, with repeated support for hospitals, health departments, and access programs that serve small communities. Recent awards include $548,293 to Dhd #10 in Cadillac and $454,280 to Central Michigan Dhd in Mount Pleasant, alongside a broad set of similarly sized awards to rural hospitals and district health departments across the state. The pattern points to a funder that works through health delivery infrastructure rather than broad charitable grants. Their program mix reaches primary care access, EMS workforce development, opioid and substance use disorder response, palliative care, veterans health access, and training and continuing education. The foundation also administers or supports scholarship and loan-repayment pathways tied to service in underserved areas, including the National Health Service Corps Scholarship Program, Nurse Corps Scholarship Program, and Michigan State Loan Repayment Program. In recent grants, organizations such as Sheridan Community Hospital in Sheridan and Midmichigan Medical Center-Gladwin in Gladwin appear among the recipients, reflecting a consistent emphasis on rural providers and community health capacity. Across the recent record, the foundation’s work is concentrated on strengthening the people, institutions, and service networks that keep rural care available in Michigan.
What Michigan Center for Rural Health Funds
A large share of Michigan Center for Rural Health’s work is tied to rural health systems and local public health infrastructure. District health departments received some of the largest recent awards, including $399,610 to Midmichigan District Health Dept in Stanton and $297,200 to Allegan Dhd in Allegan. Workforce development is another clear theme. The foundation supports scholarship and repayment pathways through programs such as the Michigan State Loan Repayment Program, which can provide up to $300,000 for eligible providers serving underserved areas in Michigan. It also administers the EMS Workforce Grant Scholarship Program for EMS training. Behavioral health and overdose response appear through the Northern Michigan Opioid Response Consortium, which provides training, community awareness events, technical assistance, overdose safety resources, and coordination across a 25-county area in northern Lower Michigan. Palliative care is also part of the portfolio. Through Cultivating Comfort, the foundation has supported community-based palliative care in rural Michigan communities such as Marlette, Hillsdale, Three Rivers, and Kalkaska.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$2.2M
Total Assets
$1.9M
Total Revenue
$6.9M
Total Expenses
$6.7M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $12K and $26K, with a median of $12K.
25th Percentile
$12K
Median
$12K
75th Percentile
$26K
Geographic Reach
Local2 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
JOHN BARNAS
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