Center Names Schumacher New Director of Rural Hospital Stabilization Program

The National Rural Health Resource Center (The Center) has named Thomas Schumacher, a health care executive with extensive experience building sustainable hospital programs that prioritize patient outcomes, community well-being and workforce engagement, as the director of the Rural Hospital Stabilization Program, a new federal initiative designed to help rural hospitals improve their financial stability by enhancing or expanding health care services.

Schumacher will oversee the planning, development and execution of all program activities, with primary responsibility for leading the program’s selection process, directing its technical assistance approach, administering the program’s budget, managing relationships with partners and supervising program staff. 

He said he’s excited to lead the new program — which is funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Federal Office of Rural Health Policy — and to play a role in the nationwide effort to improve rural health outcomes and help sustain rural hospitals.

“Working over the last five years in a leadership role at a rural hospital really solidified for me that that’s where my passion is — doing what I can to directly impact the health and well-being of rural communities,” said Schumacher, who is trained as a physical therapist. “At larger health care organizations, you often face an uphill battle to make an impact and drive change. But at rural facilities, you can spark change quickly. 

“And The Center’s work — its mission, vision and values — aligns with this passion: supporting small communities by helping rural health organizations to sustain their services. It’s a critical mission.”

Schumacher most recently served as the director of operations at Barrett Hospital & Healthcare, a critical access hospital in Dillon, Montana, where he managed outpatient clinic services and led the hospital’s value-based care programs, population health strategies and community outreach initiatives. He helped to drive revenue and service line growth, reduce employee turnover, put innovative patient access solutions into practice and launch telehealth services.

Prior to that, he was the manager of medical-surgical therapy at the University of Wisconsin Health in Madison, responsible for physical therapy and clinical health psychology services, and supervising a team of more than 60 professionals.

He has also provided direct patient care at sites in the Rocky Mountain West and the western U.S.

“We’re thrilled to have Tom join our team at The Center to guide the new Rural Hospital Stabilization Program,” said Sally Buck, The Center’s CEO. “His education and his experience in a rural hospital, along with his commitment to health care innovation, make him a perfect fit for this role. His leadership will help to ensure that this new program makes an impact across the country and that we can help stabilize rural hospitals and the access to care they provide to millions of rural Americans.”

Schumacher, a native of Wisconsin, earned both a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology and a master of physical therapy degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.