The Healthcare First Initiative
Who We Are
The Healthcare First Initiative is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that researches, identifies, and recommends clinical, financial, technical, and administrative services for rural healthcare facilities.
Our goal is to help offset revenue losses, enhance quality, improve patient care, and more. To this end, we invite you to schedule a listening session so we can understand your needs. Learn more and schedule your session below.
Schedule a free listening session
What's a listening session?
Listening without an agenda can create a safe environment for open communication and often reveals new possibilities and options. That's the spirit we bring to our listening sessions.
In these sessions, we actively listen for your organization's vision and/or plan, as well as the strengths, tools, or avenues you envision for bringing it to life. Our goal is to support you in creating a path to fulfilling your vision and/or plan.
Following the listening sessions, we provide a summary of the findings and, with your permission, offer vetted resources to help you fulfill your vision and/or plan.
What happens after I click submit?
- You'll get a response within 2 business days
- We schedule a 2-hour listening session with you
- You receive a summary of findings after the listening session
Learn more about the initiative below
HFI: Why We Exist
The Healthcare First Initiative was founded in late 2025 by a group of professionals focused on improving healthcare, particularly in rural areas, noting that the combined impact of Medicaid cuts alone in the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" (OBBBA) could decrease spending in rural areas by $155 billion over 10 years.
The organization’s mission is to ensure that facilities, providers, staff, and residents flourish, aligning closely with the core values of its founders. In collaboration with leaders in the field, the initiative seeks to identify and implement best practices currently in use, with the goal of supporting both rural healthcare organizations and the communities they serve.
The types of services already identified that can help reduce costs and improve care include the following: clinical, financial, administrative, technical, and educational
- Affordable and rapid radiology report reading
- Specialty care identification while preventing loss of patients to urban facilities
- Affordable, flexible EHR systems that interface with larger systems
- AI technology to increase claims reimbursement and reduce administrative workload
- Revenue generation from telecommunications technology and USAC cost recovery
- Proactive risk management to reduce administrative burden and volatility
- Educational and informational resources to support resiliency, creativity, and collaboration
Vetted providers
Juno Health
