Bringing the clinic into the hospital is great in terms of having all needed resources under one roof.  For example, you can just pick up the phone and talk to the resources, like the lab.  In addition, everyone is working towards the same goal – building MHHS and making it a better place.  Finally, MHHS’s image in community has improved because everything is under one roof; individuals receive regular check-ups here, not just intensive, frightening acute hospital-type encounters.

MHHS’s board is focused on policies not operations, and with nine members, the board can accomplish a lot without getting too bogged down.  The executive team views the board as “free resources” and really select board members for their unique skill sets.

The closure of the local small rural hospital could have been the beginning of a domino effect, foretelling the total collapse of the health care system in this isolated Appalachian community.  The community, working together, developed the Comprehensive Rural Care Collaborative Model as an integrated service network, under which the hospital ceased functioning and MHHS expanded services.  The threat of collapse of the health care system resulted in the formation of an integrated organization that retains access to health care, retains local employment and provides an opportunity to improve the quality of life for the people living in these communities.