Woodlawn Health Hosts Visit from Governor-Elect Mike Braun

Prior to the 2024 general election, IHA member Woodlawn Health located in Rochester, Indiana hosted outgoing U.S. Senator and now Governor-elect Mike Braun. The focus of the visit was on the importance of Woodlawn’s obstetric department to the local community.

The loss of maternity services is a very real threat for rural communities throughout the United States—and Indiana is no different. Woodlawn has two labor and delivery rooms, four postpartum rooms, and a childbirth patient simulator known as NOELLE. They see about 15 births per month, yet several maternity providers have closed in recent years in adjacent counties, leaving a “maternity desert” surrounding Rochester.

Woodlawn Health CEO Alan Fisher was quoted in the Fulton County Post saying, “We're going to do everything we can to keep it open,” but noted how Woodlawn spent $4 million in hospital assessment fees in 2023 with 28% in administrative costs alone.

Vice President of Patient Care Services Paula McKinney added about Woodlawn’s OB department, "It's struggling for us to keep it open financially because we lose money on it every year. But to serve our community, we keep it open."

According to the Fulton County Post, Braun noted that his administration will focus on health care costs and outcomes – and keeping rural hospitals like Woodlawn open is vital given the need for local care close to home and the jobs they represent for the community.

IHA applauds the work of Woodlawn Health for engaging with Gov.-elect Braun and advocating for changes to the Hospital Assessment Fee, its financial impact on rural hospitals, and the critical services the hospital provides to local Hoosiers. If you have questions for the IHA Government Relations team, contact:

Luke McNamee, Vice President of Government Relations
Laura Brown, Deputy General Counsel

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