Northfield Hospital CEO Offers Suggestions to State Lawmakers About Rural Healthcare Funding and Policies

By Logan Wells, News Director | Logan@kymnradio.net

Community leaders gather to share their input with Minnesota State Senators at a hearing held at The Ole Store on October 9th.

Several community leaders gathered last week to share their stories and expertise with a group of Minnesota State Senators on the impact of the reduction in federal funding to many programs. One of those in attendance was Zander Abbott, the CEO of Northfield Hospital and Clinic. 

Abbott noted that there are several areas in which Northfield Hospital is concerned about the reduction or elimination of Federal Funding, such as the enhanced premium tax credit, which accounts for approximately 1% to 3% of the hospital’s net income. With reductions in funding, Abbott said many rural hospitals will have to look at reducing services: 

“I look at other services as well, though, and we need to have a similar plan for those to make sure that patients aren’t suddenly left waking up and reading the newspaper and saying they can no longer get cancer care in the community, they can no longer get rehabilitation services or inpatient care.” – Zander Abbott, Northfield Hospital and Clinics CEO at the 10/9/2025 Senate Hearing


Listen to the News:



In June, Northfield Hopsital leaders sent a letter advocating against Medicaid Cuts. According to the letter:

  • Medicaid cuts that reduce eligibility, eliminate or limit benefits, and further reduce the chronic Medicaid underpayment rates threaten NH+C’s financial stability.
  • NH+C is at risk of losing $7.5 million annual net revenue if proposed cuts become law.

Read the full letter here.


Abbott stated at the meeting that the federal funding changes were a new layer of challenges on already difficult operations for rural hospitals. He noted one example of how that was already taking place in Obstetrics and Childbirth, where few rural hospitals provide the service. It left an opportunity for Northfield to become a rural regional center for childbirths, to the point that they deliver 700 babies a year. However, it meant that many families were traveling longer distances to Northfield to receive the care, since their local hospital no longer provided it:

“But as I start looking out into other rural communities, that’s where I really get worried about healthcare in our broader region. These cuts are going to have a significant impact on hospitals that are in slightly worse situations than Northfield Hospital.  Those hospitals will then have to make tough decisions around services they can offer, which means that those patients in those communities will then be traveling further to receive care.” – Zander Abbott, Northfield Hospital and Clinics CEO at the 10/9/2025 Senate Hearing 

Abbott offered several suggestions and recommendations to state lawmakers at the hearing, including lifting the moratorium on new inpatient beds and looking for ways to better support behavioral and mental health.


Newscasts on KYMN air on weekdays at 6am, 7am, 8:30am, Noon, 3pm, and 5pm. If you miss it live, you can subscribe on your preferred podcast app:
Click here to listen on Spotify
Click here to listen on Apple Podcast
Do you have a news tip or press release? Send it to our email: Logan@kymnradio.net

Related Posts

Local Events

Hispanic Heritage Celebration

Saturday, September 13, 2025 @ 11:00 am – 4:00 pm – Everyone is invited to a day-long celebration of Hispanic culture during the Hispanic Heritage CelebrationThis event kicks off Hispanic Heritage Month. A pre-event Zumba class starts at 9:00 a.m. to get everyone warmed up. The festival starts at 11:00 a.m. with a parade of flags. Throughout the day, there will be live music, dancing, entertainment, […]

View Event »

Homegrown Harvest Dinner (Cannon River SFA)

Saturday, September 13, 2025 @ 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm – Homegrown Harvest Dinner: A Feast for the Future of Local Farming September 13, 2025 • Ferndale Market • Cannon Falls, MN Fresh flavors, live music, and community spirit will be on the table at the Homegrown Harvest Dinner on Saturday, September 13, 2025, hosted by the Cannon River Chapter of the Sustainable Farming Association (SFA) […]

View Event »