Joplin, MO – Freeman Health System is collaborating with 45 healthcare organizations across Southwest Missouri to positively impact the overall health and well-being of residents living in area rural communities. 

Recently, Missouri’s Rural Health Transformation Program selected Freeman Health System as the Community Hub Anchor for regional Hub #8, one of 27 hubs established statewide by Missouri Department of Social Services. Hub #8 impacts 216,000 residents living in Jasper, Newton, McDonald and Barton Counties. Through the statewide initiative, called Transformation of Rural Community Health (ToRCH Care), healthcare providers and community organizations across Southwest Missouri are partnering to expand access, improve care coordination and support better health outcomes for rural residents, Freeman officials said. 

“As I look around the room today, I see something incredibly encouraging—I see healthcare providers, behavioral health organizations, educators, public health leaders, community organizations and individuals who have dedicated their entire lives to improving the lives of others,” said Renee Denton, President for Freeman Health System’s Missouri and Kansas Markets. 

This, Denton continued, is what ToRCH Care is all about.

The future of healthcare isn’t about treating illness, Denton said during a press conference held Wednesday morning at the Harry M. Cornell Arts & Entertainment Complex. 

“It’s about building stronger systems of support that help people stay healthy. No one organization can accomplish that alone. “But together, we can create meaningful change. Together, we can improve care coordination,” she said. “Together, we can strengthen access. Together, we can support local providers and community organizations. Together, we can ensure rural communities stay strong and vibrant for generations to come.”

“This is not about Freeman Health System,” Freeman President and CEO Matt Fry emphasized during his remarks at the conference. “This is really about the communities we serve, the four counties within Hub #8, and that this is a team effort for us to collectively bring as many services as possible to improve the lives of the people in those four counties.”

RHTP is a five-year initiative investing $50 billion in rural healthcare funding across the United States. Of that total, Missouri received $216 million to be spent in 2026. 

“Rural healthcare is struggling. It’s struggling not just here in Southwest Missouri, but it’s struggling across the United States,” Fry said. “That’s why Congress thought fit to create [RHTP], and it’s important that we utilize these resources very responsibly and that we demonstrate results.”

Those results are paramount, Fry continued.  

“A key component of the RHTP program is advocacy. What I mean by that is, if by year 1, if we, Missouri, have not effectively spent the $216 million dollars that we’ve been awarded, [Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services] can recalibrate what the award is for year 2, year 3, year 4, and year 5,” Fry said. “So, it’s incredibly important for us to make lasting change to the four counties that we serve. And we can only do that together – through collaboration, through teamwork, through listening and through learning.”

Joplin Mayor Rob O’Brian also spoke during the conference, emphasizing the important role Joplin plays as a regional hub when it comes to providing excellent healthcare.

“[Joplin] has always been the hub community for healthcare. This has been such a strong sector for us over the years and one that has grown and consistently grows,” said O’Brian. “I’m excited about the opportunity to continue to solidify our leadership in Southwest Missouri for great medical care, but all of the things that go with that, all of the things that are needed to make that happen in terms of community organizations, and employers, and clinics, and bringing this all together so we have a strong medical community that helps provide services that’s needed for our residents throughout the four county area.” 

Over the coming weeks, participating organizations will work together to identify regional priorities, strengthen connections between healthcare and community resources, and develop strategies that improve care delivery and health outcomes throughout the region. 

Thanks to those 45 organizations providing letters of support to improve rural healthcare across the region, “that support demonstrated something very important. The desire to collaborate already exists. The relationships already exist. The commitment already exists,” Denton said.

“As we begin this work, our commitment is very simple; every organization will have a voice. Every community will have a seat at the table,” she continued. “Every decision will be guided by what is best for the people that we collectively serve.”