Advancing Rural Health Access and Innovation with Brendan Harris & Patti Jackson-Gehris

In this episode of the Becker's Healthcare Podcast, Jacob Emerson interviews Brendan Harris and Patti Jackson-Gehris, senior leaders at UPMC, about their innovative strategies to improve rural healthcare access in Pennsylvania. Patty, Market President for UPMC in North Central PA, shares how her team is transforming care delivery in sparsely populated regions like Potter and Tioga counties—where population density is as low as 15 people per square mile—by focusing on community-driven health needs assessments, prevention, and reimagining maternity care through regionalization and enhanced prenatal services. Brendan, responsible for Medicaid state programs, emphasizes the critical role of the federal Rural Health Transformation Program, which provides five years of funding to redesign rural care through sustainable, collaborative models involving payers, providers, and community organizations. Both leaders highlight how telehealth, mobile health units, and workforce development—including rural OBGYN fellowships and EMS support—are key to bridging geographic and systemic gaps. They stress that success isn't measured by the number of programs launched, but by long-term sustainability, reduced emergency visits, and equitable access to care. The episode underscores a shift from traditional, hospital-centered models to integrated, community-based systems that meet people where they are—literally and figuratively. From food insecurity interventions to telepsychiatry and home-based video visits for seniors, UPMC’s initiatives demonstrate how technology and policy can work in tandem to strengthen rural health ecosystems. The overarching message is one of reinvention: rural healthcare must evolve beyond preservation to embrace innovation, collaboration, and prevention to ensure long-term viability and equity.