June 8, 2026: Rural Outbreaks, Hospitals At Risk, and a New Dementia Research Program

Rural Health News is a weekly segment of Rural Health Today, a podcast by Hillsdale Hospital.

News sources for this episode:

Kate Wells, “Michigan Found a Way To Reduce School Vaccine Waivers. Until It Backfired.,” June 3, 2026, https://kffhealthnews.org/public-health/vaccinations-school-vaccine-waivers-michigan-measles-covid-lockdowns/, KFF Health News.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Measles Cases and Outbreaks,” May 29, 2026, https://www.cdc.gov/measles/data-research/index.html. 

Andrew Cass, “720 hospitals at risk of closure, by state,” June 1, 2026, https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/finance/720-hospitals-at-risk-of-closure-by-state/, Becker’s Hospital Review. 

Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform, “Rural Hospital at Risk of Closing,” May 2026, https://ruralhospitals.chqpr.org/downloads/Rural_Hospitals_at_Risk_of_Closing.pdf.

University of Minnesota, “How rural and tribal communities are rewriting the rules for Alzheimer’s prevention,” June 2, 2026, https://twin-cities.umn.edu/news-events/how-rural-and-tribal-communities-are-rewriting-rules-alzheimers-prevention.

Rural Health Today is a production of Hillsdale Hospital in Hillsdale, Michigan and a member of the Health Podcast Network. Our host is JJ Hodshire, our producer is Kyrsten Newlon, and our audio engineer is Kenji Ulmer. Special thanks to our special guests for sharing their expertise on the show, and also to the Hillsdale Hospital marketing team. If you want to submit a question for us to answer on the podcast or learn more about Rural Health Today, visit ruralhealthtoday.com.