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In this episode, Michael chats with Adam Ferrari, CEO of Phoenix Energy, an oil and gas company operating in the Williston Basin. They discuss current market conditions, responsible energy development in rural communities, and how landowners can evaluate mineral rights offers. Adam also shares how his engineering and banking experience shapes Phoenix's approach to risk and long-term value. They explore how data and technology are used to find value across U.S. basins, what disciplined energy production looks like in today's market, and signals shaping the future of the oil and gas industry.

In this episode, Michael chats with Andrea Fox, Senior Editor at Healthcare IT News. Together, they discuss a recent study on how rural hospital at home programs have improved the patient experience—who conducted the study and its findings. Plus, they dive into what makes home health in rural areas unique compared to urban areas, policy implications of the study, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' new Office of Rural Health Transformation and the funding behind it, what this new federal focus on rural health could mean moving forward, and much more.   Read "Acute care at home helps improve outcomes for rural patients" in Healthcare IT News.   Read "Hospital-Level Care at Home for Adults Living in Rural Settings, A Randomized Clinical Trial" in JAMA Network Open.

In this episode, Michael chats with Michael Backus, President and CEO of Oswego Health; Brian Fisher, Managing Director at BRG; and Dr. Julia Clark, Managing Director at BRG. Together, they discuss the realities rural hospitals are facing; what Oswego Health is currently experiencing in upstate New York; innovative and collaborative approaches necessary to rethink operating models; how BRG Healthcare is working with rural hospitals to help bolster operations; and how partnerships can serve as a winning strategy to help rural hospitals overcome operational barriers.   This episode and the two-part series are sponsored by BRG. Visit www.thinkbrg.com/healthcare to learn more.

In this episode, Michael chats with Alan Morgan, CEO of the National Rural Health Association (NRHA); Brian Fisher, Managing Director at BRG; and Dr. Julia Clark, Managing Director at BRG. Together, they discuss the current state of rural hospitals; NRHA's analysis of the impact of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act on rural hospitals; what rural healthcare providers should do now to ensure they can continue to offer quality patient care; and how NRHA and BRG are working together to reimagine the way rural providers can deliver care in the future.   This episode and the two-part series are sponsored by BRG. Visit www.thinkbrg.com/healthcare to learn more.   Check out NRHA's analysis on the impact of the OBBBA on rural healthcare at bit.ly/47iHbRQ.

In this episode, Michael chats with Max Silber, Vice President of Mobility and IoT at MetTel. Together, they discuss connectivity and the role copper-based landlines play in rural hospitals; how rural healthcare facilities can transition to digital systems, even with limited costs and resources; challenges that rural organizations could face when transitioning to digital; how MetTel helps those organizations make successful transitions to digital; and much more.

In this episode, Michael chats with Dr. Melissa Sadorf, Executive Director of the Arizona Rural Schools Association; Dr. Steven Johnson, Superintendent of Fort Ransom School District in North Dakota and leader of Rural Educational Associates; and Taylor McCabe-Juhnke, Executive Director of Rural Schools Collaborative. Together, they first offer a warm tribute to Dr. Allen Pratt, who is retiring as Executive Director of the National Rural Education Association. Then, they dive into the most important developments in rural education in 2024 and wrap up with some insights on what could be at the forefront in 2025.

In this final episode of our MedCerts series, Michael chats with Jenny Story, Office Manager and Co-Owner at Story Family Medicine in Idaho, and Jennifer Kolb, Vice President of Partnerships and Workforce Development at MedCerts. Together, they discuss the unique community Story Family Medicine serves, the challenges it faced in finding new talent, why it partnered with MedCerts to deploy a phlebotomy certification course to help fill that role, how MedCerts partnership models help to bridge talent gaps in rural health, and much more.   This episode and the entire series are sponsored by MedCerts. For more information, visit partners.MedCerts.com.

In this episode, Michael chats with MacKenzie Nuckolls, RN CNOR, Assistant Director of Surgical Services at Union General Health System in Georgia, and Jennifer Kolb, Vice President of Partnerships and Workforce Development at MedCerts. Together, they discuss MacKenzie's role at Union General Health System, challenges the hospital faced as it tried to fill talent gaps, how the hospital's partnership with MedCerts help to meet those needs, and much more.   This episode and the entire series are sponsored by MedCerts. For more information, visit partners.MedCerts.com.

In this episode, Michael chats with Marion McFadden, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Together, they discuss how McFadden's office coordinated the response to recent natural disasters; the impact of HUD's housing supply work, including PRO Housing and the Section 108 Legacy Challenge; how HUD is working to provide financial assistance to rural communities facing homelessness difficulties; and HUD's holistic approach to improve economic prosperity in rural communications.

In this episode, Michael chats with Jennifer Kolb, Vice President of Partnerships and Workforce Development at MedCerts; Dana Janssen, Chief Product Officer at MedCerts; Rupi Hayer, Senior Manager for Chronic Disease Education in the Improving Health Outcomes Department at the American Medical Association (AMA); and Lauren Clemmons, Associate Professor of Family Medicine and Osteopathic Principles and Practice at the Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine. Together, they discuss MedCerts' employer partnership model, how the organization's programs benefit rural communities, the AMA's Blood Pressure Measurement initiative, why it's important to choose the right partner for online healthcare and IT training, why the two organizations partnered, the importance of blood pressure measurement training and education, and much more.   Explore the AMA's Student Blood Pressure Measurement Learning Series: edhub.ama-assn.org/ama-cvd-prevention-education/pages/student-bp-learning-series?bypassoutputcache=true   Learn more about the partnership between MedCerts and the AMA: www.ama-assn.org/press-center/press-releases/ama-medcerts-collaborate-improve-blood-pressure-measurement-skills   This episode and the entire series are sponsored by MedCerts. For more information, visit MedCerts.com.

In this episode, Michael chats with Chris Estes, Co-Executive Director of the Aspen Institute Community Strategies Group (Aspen CSG). Together, they discuss recent federal investment in rural areas, why private philanthropy and government need to rethink funding strategies, why rethinking measurement is important, the impact of investing in rural development hubs, and much more. For more information, visit aspencsg.org.

In this episode, Michael chats with Elizabeth "Libby" Jones, Program Director of the Global Health Advocacy Incubator's Overdose Prevention Initiative (OPI). Together, they discuss OPI's mission, what they're working on now, differences between rural and urban issues surrounding the opioid crisis and overdose epidemic, what's happening at the federal level to address these concerns in rural America, and much more. For more information, visit actionforoverdose.org.

In this episode, Michael chats with returning Rural Matters guest Luke Shaefer, Faculty Director of Poverty Solutions at the University of Michigan, Kohn Professor of Social Justice and Social Policy, professor of social work, and co-author of The Injustice of Place, which explores the legacy of poverty in disadvantaged rural communities across the U.S. Together, they discuss the impetus and research behind the book, what "disadvantage" truly means in the context of dozens of rural American communities, and much more. This episode is sponsored by Poverty Solutions at the University of Michigan. For more information, visit poverty.umich.edu.   Order Luke's book, The Injustice of Place, at bit.ly/3L2vKSw.  The views stated by podcast guests do not necessarily reflect those of our sponsors.

In the fourth and final installment of our 2023 series with Self-Help Enterprises, Michael chats with the following rural water, housing, and health experts: Tami McVay, Director of Emergency Services at Self-Help Enterprises; Meghan Tosney, Assistant Deputy Director at California's State Water Board's Division of Financial Assistance; Eddie Ocampo, Program Director with the Community Sustainability Department at Self-Help Enterprises; and Paul Gosselin, Deputy Director for Sustainable Groundwater Management at the California Department of Water Resources. Together, they discuss emergency services and response work in California during a period of drought, the nonprofit role in the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, helping families find viable solutions for safe and affordable drinking water, and much more.  This episode, and the entire series, is sponsored by Self-Help Enterprises. For more information, visit www.selfhelpenterprises.org.  The views stated by podcast guests do not necessarily reflect those of our sponsors.

In the fourth installment of our latest series with Ascendium, Michael chats with Dr. Mallory Dwinal-Palisch, Chancellor of Reach University and CEO of Craft Education System, and Mary Wurtz, Policy Analyst at The Council of State Governments Center of Innovation. Together, they discuss their work to bolster the rural public-sector workforce, the power of apprenticeships in advancing rural communities, and much more. This episode, and the entire series, is sponsored by Ascendium Education Group. For more information, visit www.ascendiumeducation.org and www.ascendiumphilanthropy.org. CSG Launches New Initiative to Expand Civic Sector Apprenticeship Programs in the States: www.csg.org/2022/10/04/csg-launches-new-initiative-to-expand-civic-sector-apprenticeship-programs-in-the-states  Expanding Rural Apprenticeship in Maine: csg-erc.org/rural-apprenticeship-in-maine  The views stated by podcast guests do not necessarily reflect those of our sponsors.