Baraga County Memorial Hospital selected to help pioneer new model for rural healthcare
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L’ANSE -- Baraga County Memorial Hospital has been selected to help pioneer a new model for rural healthcare as part of the ARPA-H Paradigm Program. The organization will be partnering with Homeward Health and organizations across the country to deliver hospital-level services utilizing a state-of-the-art wheelchair-accessible vehicle enabling not only specialty care but also complex lab and imaging capabilities.
As part of Phase One of this program, BCMH has partnered with the University of Minnesota to conduct community listening sessions across the region. Community feedback will help shape how the program operates and ultimately which communities will be selected to participate.
“It is great to see this cutting-edge technology and these federal resources being deployed in the Upper Peninsula,” said Rob Stowe, CEO of Baraga County Memorial Hospital. “The initial feedback from the communities we have spoken with has been very positive.”
At the onset of the program, currently slated to launch in mid-December 2026, BCMH plans to offer OB/GYN services, including prenatal care, comprehensive women’s health services, wound care, cardiology, and a primary care provider who will support the vehicle at all times.
“This program is a great opportunity for us to bring the specialty services we provide directly to people in the communities where they live,” said Stowe. “Transportation, especially with our winter weather challenges, can be a barrier to people receiving the care they need. We think this will be a great option for our region.”
To learn more about the program or to find out if your community could be supported through this opportunity, please contact Lynn Belpedio at 906-524-3322.
Currently scheduled community listening sessions include:
● Lunch & Learn, BCMH – Tuesday, Aug. 11, noon
● Michigamme – Tuesday, Aug. 11, 5 p.m.
● Duncan Township – Wednesday, Aug. 12, 6:30 p.m.
● Ontonagon – Thursday, Aug. 13, 5 p.m.