About Us
Nevada Rural Hospital Partners is an alliance of 13 small and rural hospitals founded on the idea that we are stronger standing together than individually.
Building on a long history of cooperation dating from the mid-1970’s, Nevada’s small, rural and frontier hospitals realized they are much stronger standing together than as isolated, unaffiliated entities. In 1987, with temporary funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Hospital Based Rural Healthcare Program, the group established a formal consortium intended to focus on solutions to the issues and challenges facing rural hospitals.
Nevada’s rural hospitals are stronger individually, and as a group, because of the efforts of NRHP. The foresight and commitment of individual hospital administrators, their boards, and hospital staff, as well as the dedication of NRHP staff, have resulted in a consortium that truly makes a positive difference.
MISSION
NRHP’s mission is to improve the viability of member hospitals through shared services, resources and advocacy.
PURPOSE
NRHP’s purpose is to maintain access to hospital-based healthcare services in rural settings.
GOALS
NRHP’s goals are closely related to its mission–to support member viability. NRHP believes the viability of small hospitals rests on:
- A supportive operating environment;
- Adequate financial resources;
- Quality human resources;
- An appropriate array of high quality services that meet community needs; and
- Appropriate facilities and technology.
Structure
NRHP has four entities through which it carries out its mission and purpose:
NRHP, Inc., a 501(e) Shared Services Organization
NRHP, Inc. is a nonprofit corporation organized as a "cooperative hospital service organization" to perform services for its members on a centralized basis.
NRHP Foundation, a 501(c)(3) Charitable Organization
The NRHP Foundation is a nonprofit corporation organized exclusively for charitable and educational purposes in order to accomplish specific objectives relating to rural hospitals and medical facilities.
Liability Cooperative of Nevada (LiCON), a self-funded liability pool
LiCON is a self-funded liability pool providing healthcare liability, directors and officers/employment practices liability, and other coverage lines to eight NRHP member hospitals.
NRHP Management Services, Inc., a for-profit corporation
NRHP Management Services is a corporation formed to engage as a broker in all classes of insurance permitted by statute.
Meet Our Team
BLAYNE OSBORN
President
TODD RADTKE
Regional Chief Information Officer
ANN MURDOCH
Financial Program Director
BECKY BAYLEY, MBA
Director, Strategic Initiatives
TATIANA OLIVAR
Programs and Administration Manager
GALINA TOLLE
Workforce Program Manager
RYAN BRUNETTO
Operations Coordinator
CHERYLYN RAHR-WOOD
Regional Behavioral Health Coordinator
MARK FUNKHOUSER
Regional Behavioral Health Coordinator
Todd Radtke - Regional Chief Information Officer
Todd joined NRHP in May 2003 after providing contract services to our members for a year and a half. He has over 28 years of progressively responsible experience in the field of information technology management, with a particular emphasis on network development. Todd has worked for Northrop Electronics, Arcada Associates (for Nellis Air Force Base), and Mazda Motors of America, all involving the design, implementation and support of information technology solutions.
Todd is responsible for a variety of complex technical, administrative and supervisory duties to help NRHP and our members develop, install, and maintain information technology systems. He is responsible for the development and on-going support of the NRHP wide-area network (WAN). Todd has been instrumental in assisting NRHP in the development of applications for the network. He is also the network liaison with NRHP’s technology partners, including the University of Nevada School of Medicine and the Nevada Office of Rural Health. Todd served as the lead staff member on the HRSA Legacy Systems Integration project, the PACS (Picture Archive Communication System) program, and was the lead staff on the 2008 HRSA / CMP grant, which will be used to expand and upgrade the DISRN program started in 2004. Todd has been the technology leader responsible for assisting 9 NRHP members implement Electronic Health Records and meeting meaningful use certification as required by the 2009 HITECH act. He also co-manages the NRHP Behavioral Health Integration Program.
Ann Murdoch, Financial Program Director
Ann joined the staff of NRHP as Bookkeeper/Secretary in April 1993 and stayed through October 2013 with the exception of a few leaves of absence. After a short stay in Canada with her family, she returned to Reno and became Granny in June 2014. Before returning to NRHP in October 2018, she worked part-time for Join Together Northern Nevada for three and a half years. Ann has completed a non-profit management certificate program. She manages all financial recordkeeping for NRHP’s diverse funds, grants, and programs.
Eva LaBarge, Director, Program Management
Eva joined the NRHP staff in 2021 as the Director of Program Management. She has worked in the healthcare field for 16 years serving in leadership roles at the Nevada Hospital Association and at a rural hospital on the island of Kauai. Prior to that she worked at a lobbying/law firm in Washington, D.C.
Eva has experience in organizational management, collective impact, program development and project management. She brings a unique blend of trade association work and hospital experience to benefit NRHP members. Eva is passionate about building programs from the ground up and working with a variety of stakeholders to benefit rural communities.
Eva is a native of Arlington, VA, but has called Nevada her home for over 20 years. She obtained a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration at George Mason University in Fairfax, VA and is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives. Eva currently serves as the Treasurer on the Board of Directors for the High Sierra Area Health Education Center and served as Vice Chair for the Na Lei Wili Area Health Education Center (Kauai).
Becky Bayley, MBA - Director, Strategic Initiatives
Becky is a native of rural Nevada, having grown up in Gerlach. She obtained her bachelor and master degrees in Business Administration at the University of Nevada, Reno. Becky worked for the Nevada Small Business Development Center during her college years and Nevada Health Centers, Inc. before coming to work for NRHP in August 2006.
Becky manages the day-to-day operations of the Liability Cooperative of Nevada (LiCON), an interlocal cooperative public agency formed for the purpose of self-insuring professional and related lines of liability for eligible hospitals and the physicians they employ. Eight NRHP members and approximately 100 rural physicians participate in this program. She is a licensed insurance agent in health, life, property and casualty. Becky also manages various NRHP work groups, such as the Quality Improvement Network, Risk Manager Work Group, Infection Control Work Group and Human Resources Work Group, and facilitates a number of performance improvement initiatives.
Blayne Osborn - President
A native Nevadan, Blayne Osborn began working for Nevada Rural Hospital Partners in 2015 while working in the Nevada Legislature. Blayne has been involved in every legislative and special session in Nevada since 2009. Blayne has a wealth of knowledge regarding state politics, statutes, and regulations that he utilizes to advocate for the Critical Access Hospitals in Nevada. In addition to advocacy, Blayne has been involved in numerous grants initiatives focusing on financial and operational improvement for the CAHs. In addition to serving on other boards and commissions, NV Governor Joe Lombardo appointed Blayne as a member of the Nevada State Infrastructure Bank in 2023. The NRHP Board selected Blayne to be the President of NRHP and LiCON in January 2023.
Cherylyn Rahr-Wood - Regional Behavioral Health Coordinator
Cherylyn Rahr-Wood is here to continue the role of the Regional Behavioral Health Coordinator for the Carson, Churchill, Douglas, Lyon, and Story Counties in the Northern Nevada Behavioral Health region. In this position, Cherylyn will continue the extraordinary work of the previous coordinator. Working closely with community stakeholders, including law enforcement, EMS/Fire, social services, mental health and substance use providers, and family and peer advocates, Cherylyn will collaborate in developing and coordinating behavioral health resources within each county and across the region. In this capacity, Cherylyn also serves as a liaison between the communities and state agencies and supports the established Northern Regional Behavioral Health Policy Board.
Born in California into a military family where relocating was a familiar event in her house, Cherylyn was blessed to see various cities, states, and countries as a “military brat”, giving her a well-balanced idea of where she calls home: Reno Nevada. As a Master of Social Work graduate from the University of Nevada Reno, she is enthusiastic about participating in public service to improve quality of life across the state. As the recent Zero Suicide Statewide Coordinator she earned a place at the table as a suicide prevention SME here is the state of Nevada. As the new Regional Behavioral Health Coordinator, her focus will be on empowering communities and stakeholders through understanding their needs and priorities and supporting them achieving their goals.
Cherylyn serves as Secretary and voting member on the Board of Directors for NAMI Western Nevada. She has also been a member of the Governor’s Challenge Team, focused on reducing rates of suicide in our Veterans, Service Members and Family populations. She enjoys working closely with the UNR School of Social Work in providing suicide prevention trainings as well as working to improving Nevada’s workforce concerning behavioral health and suicide prevention.
Mark Funkhouser - Regional Behavioral Health Coordinator
Mark Funkhouser has over 25 years working in or with courts including national work providing technical assistance and training to courts and communities around the country in child welfare and juvenile justice. He spent over two decades in juvenile and adult criminal justice and community corrections in Indiana that included major grant projects and programs as well as working with individuals and families in the community. Mark has degrees in education and business and is certified as a yoga instructor, community health worker, and peer recovery specialist and trainer. He also has previous executive experience working in a mental health peer recovery center working with participants and staff doing case management, supervision, and training with peers and staff. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with family and friends, hiking, practicing yoga, reading, and just doing nothing. Mark and his wife, Lauren, have been in Reno since 2018.
Tatiana Olivar - Programs and Administration Manager
Tatiana Olivar joined NRHP in May 2022 as the Program and Administration Manager. She manages and provides operational assistance to the mobile MRI program, group purchasing, and grants. Tatiana has research, data, and project management experience in the health and aging services field.
She obtained her bachelor and master degrees in Movement Science with an emphasis on Public Health. As a student, Tatiana was a lecturer for the Health Equity Institute and a graduate assistant on multiple social determinants of health projects. In addition, Tatiana collaborated with the University of Gondar in Ethiopia on a telerehabilitation system to address stroke rehabilitation for rural communities.
Galina Tolle - Workforce Program Manager
Galina Tolle joined NRHP in July 2023 as the Workforce Program Manager. In this position, she will be working to address the significant nursing staffing shortages Nevada has been experiencing in various health care settings. Galina is responsible for promoting and managing the Nurse Apprentice Program (NAP) statewide. She will be working with health care facilities and nursing schools to provide the opportunity for nursing students to practice their clinical skills and to acclimate to the role of a licensed nurse, with the goal to support the health care system and provide services that are vital to the health of Nevadans.
Galina was born in Michigan, and moved west to pursue dual degrees at the University of Arizona. A Nevadan since 2012, Galina obtained her bachelor degree in Business Management from DeVry University while serving as the Enrollment Services Representative for Carrington College. Since then, she has held a variety of positions working directly with CEOs, and brings extensive knowledge in marketing, presentations, technology, and project management.
Ryan Brunetto - Operations Coodinator
Ryan joined NRHP in August of 2023. Although she is originally from Reno, she came to us from North Dakota where she gained over 6 years’ experience as a coordinator in a Rural Health setting. During her time there, she was fortunate enough to be able to work directly in a critical access hospital, as well as be involved with other hospitals throughout the state. Beyond that, Ryan has a strong background in project management. In her spare time, you won’t find her close-by, she is always on the go. She loves to travel and discover all that the world has to offer. Ryan is excited to be back in Reno and continue her passion for Rural Health.