Senators Stabenow, Levin Announce Grant of $179,934 for Upper Peninsula Rural Health Care Network

A Rural Health Network Development Grant of $179,934 has been awarded to the Upper Peninsula Health Care Network, which partners 16 independent health care organizations working together to improve access to quality health care for residents within their communities. The Department of Health and Human Services grant was announced today by U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Carl Levin (D-MI) who both wrote federal officials in support of the grant request.

“This grant will enable the participating health care organizations to reduce the much-higher-than-average pharmaceutical costs of the Michigan Medicaid Managed Care Plan in this region through cooperative purchasing,” Stabenow said. “I am impressed that the members of UPHCN are working together to meet the unique pharmaceutical needs of their 15-county rural region.”

“Small hospitals do not have the same resources available to them as larger hospitals do,” said Levin. “With the help of this grant, the Upper Peninsula Health Care Network will be able to help strengthen the viability of its health care facilities by addressing the rising cost of pharmaceuticals.”

UPHCH members are Baraga County Memorial Baraga County Memorial Hospital, L’Anse; Bell Hospital, Ishpeming; Dickinson County Healthcare System, Iron Mountain; Grand View Health System, Ironwood; Helen Newberry Joy Hospital, Newberry; Iron County Community Hospital, Iron River; Keweenaw Memorial Medical Center, Laurium; Mackinac Straits Hospital, St. Ignace; Marquette General Health System, Marquette; Munising Memorial Hospital, Munising; Ontonagon Memorial Hospital, Ontonagon; Pathways Community Mental Health, Marquette; Portage Health System, Hancock; Sault Ste. Marie Tribal Health System, Sault Ste. Marie; Schoolcraft Memorial Hospital, Manistique; and War Memorial Hospital, Sault Ste. Marie.