Who We Are
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Mission & Vision
Headwaters Network enables rural healthcare providers to collaborate on clinical and operational initiatives, enhancing the quality of care, availability, and affordability in rural communities.
Headwaters Vision
Sustainable rural Minnesota healthcare, healthy rural Minnesota people, and vital rural Minnesota communities
Headwaters Mission
To advance a sustainable network of rural Minnesota hospitals and clinics that collaboratively increase clinical quality and share resources to improve community health.
Headwaters Goals
1. Improve access to rural health care that is safe, high-quality, and person/family centered. Reduce clinical variation by engaging clinicians in evidence-based clinical care processes; develop common continuing medical education and continuing education unit needs; and establish workforce recruitment and retention service.
2. Expand access to healthcare services while increasing healthcare efficiency. Assess service availability (e.g., specialists, imaging, lab), determine opportunities for shared clinical and administrative resources; implement a shared services; and explore shared population-health management opportunities.
3. Enhance community health and reduce rural disparities. Develop a system of care that engages community-based organizations (e.g., social services, food pantries, transportation services, law enforcement); convene other healthcare providers across the continuum of care (e.g., tertiary care hospitals, specialists, public health, home health, emergency medical services, long-term care) to improve coordination and reduce duplication; and ensuring inclusivity of those challenged by “dual-disparities.”
4. Increase rural health care organization success in value-based payment models. Pool resources and aggregate covered lives for more effective financial-risk management; assess proposed value-based payment contracts; and develop financial risk-sharing models and contracting opportunities among Headwaters members.
5. Financially sustain Headwaters and its member organizations. Implement a minimal membership contribution from each member; expand Headwaters service offerings to members that deliver value; and implement a Headwaters financial sustainability plan after grant funding ends.
Status of Rural Healthcare
Challenges of Rural Healthcare
In today’s evolving healthcare landscape, many of the most pressing challenges have led hospitals and physician groups to merge into larger health systems. These challenges include investing in advancements in diagnosis and treatment, controlling care costs, enhancing patient experiences, and fostering collaboration among clinicians. The fundamental reason behind this consolidation is scale. From enlarging patient populations and expanding physician networks to attracting top medical professionals – scale is often the answer.
For independent rural hospitals and clinics, achieving this scale can be an enormous undertaking. While merging with a larger health system is a viable option for some, many rural communities prefer to retain their local hospital’s undivided attention to cater to local needs.
Charting A Sustainable Path
The Headwaters High-Value Network was conceived in recognition of these challenges, founded on the principle that independent rural hospitals and clinics can unite to address these issues and bolster their resilience while maintaining their independence.
Through our network, 19 plus independent rural hospitals and clinics join forces on clinical and operational fronts, amplifying the accessibility, affordability, and quality of care in Minnesota’s rural communities. We are a beacon for over 750,000+ persons served, ensuring they receive nothing but the best care.
The Headwaters Clinical Integration Network (CIN) was established to further enhance our collaborative efforts. This empowers our member hospitals to offer continuous care to patients across the network, from surgery and ophthalmology to mental health and obstetrics. The CIN’s Clinical Integration Committee, comprising a practitioner from each member hospital, supervises all clinical and quality initiatives.
Looking to The Future
Our exploration into collective solutions in areas like pharmacy, telehealth, IT, clinical staffing, and more is ongoing. Leading these ventures is our Business Integration Committee, a group of selected operations leaders from our member hospitals. This committee oversees our shared service offerings and serves as a collaborative platform for these leaders to address everyday business challenges and share resolutions.
At Headwaters High-Value Network, our commitment goes beyond healthcare; it’s about building a sustainable future for rural communities. As we move forward, we remain dedicated to our mission, united in our vision, and grateful for the trust placed in us by our members and the communities we serve.
Leadership Team
Nathan H. White, JD
A. Clinton MacKinney, MD, MS
Brett Norell, MHA, FACHE
Brittany Sachdeva, DNP
John Naylor
Kylie Nissen
Lori Nelson
Board of Directors
Rachelle Schultz
Winona Health Services
Winona, MN
Joel Beiswenger
Astera Health
Wadena, MN
Randy Ulseth
Welia Health
Mora, MN
Ken Westman
Riverwood Healthcare Center
Aitkin, MN
Erik Bjerke
Madison Healthcare Services
Madison, MN
Carrie Michalski
RiverView Health
Crookston, MN
