MI · 83 Counties
Michigan Rural Health FAQ
Data-driven answers about Michigan's 180 hospitals, federal grants, health metrics, and access gaps.
🏥Hospital Access & Infrastructure
How many rural hospitals are in Michigan?
Michigan has 180 active hospitals across 83 counties, including 36 Critical Access Hospitals and 60 rural-designated facilities. Source: CMS Provider of Services.
How many hospital beds are available in Michigan?
Michigan's 180 hospitals collectively operate 32,386 beds. Source: CMS Provider of Services.
Which counties in Michigan have no hospital?
13 of Michigan's 83 counties (16%) are hospital deserts — counties with no hospital facility. Residents must travel to neighboring areas for inpatient care. Source: CMS Provider of Services, RHT Compass analysis.
What is the hospital ownership breakdown in Michigan?
Of Michigan's 180 hospitals, 69 are not-for-profit, 5 are for-profit, and 106 are government-owned. Source: CMS Provider of Services.
How many hospitals have closed in Michigan?
4 rural hospitals have closed in Michigan since 2005. Source: UNC Sheps Center for Health Services Research.
💰Financial Health
What is the median operating margin for hospitals in Michigan?
The median operating margin for Michigan's hospitals is -0.0% as of FY2025. 40 hospitals are operating at a loss. Source: CMS Healthcare Cost Report Information System (HCRIS).
How many hospitals in Michigan have negative operating margins?
40 of Michigan's hospitals reported negative operating margins in FY2025, meaning their operating expenses exceeded revenue. Source: CMS HCRIS.
What is the average hospital occupancy rate in Michigan?
The average occupancy rate across Michigan's hospitals is 49.2% as of FY2025. Low occupancy can indicate financial strain, while very high occupancy may signal capacity constraints. Source: CMS HCRIS.
💵Grants & Programs
What federal grants are available for rural hospitals in Michigan?
Michigan receives 21 active HRSA grants totaling $41.5M in FY2025. Programs include Rural Health Outreach ($21.5M), State Office of Rural Health ($7.9M), Flex Program ($7.1M), Small Hospital Improvement (SHIP) ($4.9M). Source: USAspending.gov.
What is the Rural Health Care Services Outreach program in Michigan?
Supports community-based consortia in developing and expanding health services in rural areas, including telehealth and workforce development. In Michigan, this program (CFDA 93.912) provides $21.5M across 16 grants. Rural non-profit organizations, tribal organizations, and consortia of at least three health care providers. Source: USAspending.gov, HRSA.
What is the State Offices of Rural Health (SORH) program in Michigan?
Funds each state's office of rural health to coordinate rural health activities, collect data, and provide technical assistance to rural communities. In Michigan, this program (CFDA 93.913) provides $7.9M across 2 grants. One award per state to the designated state office of rural health. Source: USAspending.gov, HRSA.
What is the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Grant (Flex) program in Michigan?
Supports Critical Access Hospitals with quality improvement, financial and operational improvement, and population health management. In Michigan, this program (CFDA 93.241) provides $7.1M across 2 grants. State offices of rural health apply on behalf of CAHs. Funds flow to state agencies, which distribute to eligible facilities. Source: USAspending.gov, HRSA.
What is the Small Hospital Improvement Program (SHIP) program in Michigan?
Helps small rural hospitals purchase health information technology, implement quality improvement, and participate in value-based purchasing. In Michigan, this program (CFDA 93.301) provides $4.9M across 1 grant. Hospitals with 49 or fewer beds that are not Critical Access Hospitals. Administered through state offices of rural health. Source: USAspending.gov, HRSA.
Who are the largest grant recipients in Michigan?
The largest rural health grant recipients in Michigan are: Michigan Center For Rural Health ($19.5M); National Organization Of State Offices Of Rural Health, Inc. ($6.4M); Allegan County Community Mental Health Services Board ($3.0M); Workit Health Inc ($2.9M); Munson Healthcare Grayling ($2.5M). Source: USAspending.gov, FY2025.
🎯AHEAD & RHT Transformation
How much RHT Transformation funding did Michigan receive?
Michigan receives $173.1M/year under the CMS Rural Health Transformation Program (CFDA 93.798) for FY2026–2030 — approximately $865.6M over the full five-year period. The lead agency is Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Source: USAspending.gov.
Who manages the RHT Transformation award in Michigan?
Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is the designated lead agency managing Michigan's $173.1M/year RHT Transformation award. The performance period runs from 2025-12-29 to 2030-10-30. Source: USAspending.gov.
What is the CMS AHEAD model and how does it affect Michigan?
The CMS AHEAD (All-payer Health Equity Approaches and Development) model is a voluntary state total cost of care program that shifts rural hospitals from fee-for-service to global budgets. Michigan's $173.1M/year RHT award supports the transition. Hospitals can use the AHEAD Readiness checklist at rhtcompass.com/ahead to assess preparedness.
❤️Community Health
What are the key health indicators for Michigan's counties?
Across Michigan's 83 counties, the average diabetes rate is 9.6%, obesity rate is 36.8%, and uninsured rate is 6.3%. There are 5.8 primary care physicians per 10,000 residents on average (2025). Source: County Health Rankings.
How vulnerable are Michigan's communities?
Michigan has 1 high-vulnerability counties based on CDC Social Vulnerability Index scores, with a statewide average SVI of 0.37 (on a 0-1 scale where 1 is most vulnerable). Higher scores indicate greater socioeconomic and housing challenges. Source: CDC SVI (2022).
What health professional shortages exist in Michigan?
Michigan has 1041 Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) designations: 520 in primary care, 257 in dental health, and 264 in mental health. An estimated 23,400,983 people live in underserved areas. Source: HRSA Bureau of Health Workforce.
How many healthcare providers does Michigan have?
Michigan has 8,083 primary care physicians (80.5/100k population), 11,371 nurse practitioners, 7,488 physician assistants, and 8,320 dentists. Average Medicare per capita cost is $10,785 with a 16.6% readmission rate. Source: AHRF 2024-2025.
What are the key health indicators for Michigan at the census tract level?
CDC PLACES data shows Michigan's average county-level rates: diabetes 13.3%, obesity 38.1%, depression 26.9%, frequent mental distress 17.8%, smoking 16.4%, and high blood pressure 39.5%. These are derived from census-tract-level BRFSS estimates. Source: CDC PLACES 2023-2024.
How many Federally Qualified Health Centers are in Michigan?
Michigan has 465 FQHC sites operated by 39 grantee organizations. 174 sites (37.4%) are in rural areas and 291 are in urban areas. FQHCs are a critical safety-net for underserved populations. Source: HRSA GIS Portal.
How many Medically Underserved Areas are in Michigan?
Michigan has 116 HRSA medically underserved designations: 99 Medically Underserved Areas (MUAs) and 17 Medically Underserved Populations (MUPs). The average MUA score is 53.2 (lower scores indicate greater need). Source: HRSA GIS Portal.
🛠️Tools & Resources
Who can help rural hospitals in Michigan prepare for the CMS AHEAD model?
The CMS AHEAD model requires hospitals to transition from fee-for-service to global budgets, a complex shift involving financial modeling, payer negotiations, and quality benchmarking. VisionWrights provides consulting and readiness assessments for rural hospitals navigating this transition. A free AHEAD Readiness checklist is available at rhtcompass.com/ahead.
Where can I find comprehensive data on rural hospitals in Michigan?
Federal data on Michigan's rural hospitals is spread across CMS, HRSA, CDC, and other agencies. RHT Compass integrates 15 federal data sources into a single platform with hospital profiles, county health dashboards, financial benchmarks, and grant tracking for all 180 hospitals in Michigan.
How can I assess my hospital's AHEAD readiness?
The free AHEAD Readiness checklist at rhtcompass.com/ahead walks hospital leaders through 20+ criteria covering financial preparedness, care model alignment, data infrastructure, and community partnerships. It takes about 10 minutes and produces an actionable readiness score.
See the Full Michigan Dashboard
Interactive dashboards, AI queries, and hospital risk scoring for Michigan's 180 hospitals.
Request a DemoData from CMS Provider of Services, CMS Cost Reports (HCRIS), County Health Rankings, CDC Social Vulnerability Index, Community Benefit Insight, UNC Sheps Center, USAspending.gov, and HRSA Bureau of Health Workforce. Last updated: 2026-03-11.