Rural Health Transformation Program - Special Projects and Communication Coordinator

Michigan Center for Rural Health; East Lansing (MI); Hybrid; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work environment

Health insurance

PTO 160 hours

8 paid holidays

Vision and dental benefits

Summer Friday policy

Job summary

Michigan Center for Rural Health in East Lansing, Michigan seeks a RHTP Special Projects and Communications Coordinator to turn rural clinic stories into statewide learning materials. You will develop content for print, web, and social channels and manage Thinkific-based learning content and regional convenings.

The role emphasizes storytelling, coordination of materials, and collaboration with MDHHS and partners to expand shared rural health practices across Michigan.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in communications, journalism, public relations, marketing, public health, or a related field (or equivalent experience).
• Minimum two years in communications, content development, program coordination, or related field.
• Experience interviewing individuals and producing case studies or stories is strongly preferred.
• Experience with learning management systems or instructional design is strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Identify emerging practices among RHTP subrecipients and translate them into replicable materials.
• Develop written, visual, and multimedia content for statewide dissemination.
• Produce case studies, practice spotlights, briefs, videos, and conference-ready materials.
• Secure permission for using names, images, and stories; maintain documentation.

Skills

Storytelling

Content development

Learning design

Web content management

Coordination

Professional communication

Teamwork

Customer service

Curiosity

Time management

Adaptability

Education

Bachelor’s degree in communications/related field

Tools

Thinkific

Teachable

Canvas

Articulate

Canva

Adobe Creative Suite

Job description

• The RHTP Special Projects and Communications Coordinator finds what is working across Michigan’s Rural Health Transformation Program and makes sure the rest of the state hears about it. The Michigan Center for Rural Health (MCRH) is Michigan’s State Office of Rural Health and serves as shared learning lead across RHTP subrecipients, with a second track providing direct funding and support to certified Rural Health Clinics and EMS agencies. This position requires a blend of experience: storytelling and content development, communications across print, web, and social channels, and the coordination skills to keep convenings, materials, and follow up on schedule. The Coordinator identifies emerging best practices among subrecipients, develops the stories and materials that carry those practices to a statewide audience, and provides coordination support for MCRH’s shared learning work, including regional learning circles, statewide convenings, and communications with MDHHS and partner organizations. MCRH delivers shared learning content through the Thinkific platform, and this position builds and maintains RHTP content there, so experience with web design and learning management system design is beneficial.

Supervision Received

• Reports directly to the Executive Director.

Performance Expectations & Core Competencies

• Storytelling & Content Development: Turns what happens in a rural clinic, agency, or community into material other organizations can learn from, in language providers recognize as their own.
• Learning Design & Web Content: Structures content so that someone can work through it on their own and come away able to act, and keeps web and course pages clear, current, and easy to navigate.
• Curiosity in the Field: Notices when something a subrecipient is doing is worth lifting up, and asks the questions that surface it rather than waiting to be told.
• Coordination & Follow Through: Keeps convenings, materials, and commitments on schedule across many organizations and competing calendars.
• Professional Communication & Relationship Building: Engages with stakeholders with professionalism, respect, and clarity.
• Collaboration & Teamwork: Works cooperatively within MCRH and across external partners to advance shared rural health goals.
• Sound Judgment & Discretion: Handles sensitive organizational and community information appropriately, secures permission before sharing a partner’s story, and maintains clear professional boundaries.
• Excels at customer service: Treats all people with utmost respect and responsiveness, strengthening relationships and advancing work plans and MCRH Mission.
• Personal drive: Has a passion to meet and exceed objectives in a thoughtful and time driven manner.
• Commitment to MCRH: Can align one’s own behavior, leadership and commitment with the needs, priorities, goals, and culture of MCRH.
• Embraces inclusion: Creates an atmosphere that respects and embraces engagement of all people, ideas, and backgrounds.
• Loves to learn: Able and willing to learn new skills and knowledge and accept new challenges to improve projects.
• Manages multiple projects and tasks: Effectively manages time and resources to respond to needs while continuing to deliver on organizational goals, objectives, and timelines; and seeks help when needed in juggling priorities.
• Personifies teamwork: Demonstrates good collaboration and communication to be effective in any team setting.

General Duties and Responsibilities

Best Practice Identification & Storytelling:

• Identify emerging and proven practices among RHTP subrecipients through site visits, learning circle participation, interviews, and routine check ins.
• Develop written, visual, and multimedia content that captures what subrecipients are doing, what changed as a result, and what another organization would need to replicate it.
• Produce case studies, practice spotlights, summary briefs, short videos, and conference ready materials for statewide dissemination.
• Secure participant and organizational permission for the use of names, images, and stories, and maintain documentation of that permission.
• Build and maintain a shared library of practices, tools, templates, and materials that rural organizations can use whether or not they receive RHTP funding.

Learning Platform & Content Delivery:

• Build and maintain RHTP shared learning content in the Thinkific platform, including course setup, module structure, enrollment, and completion tracking.
• Design learning content for self paced use, including module sequencing, supporting materials, knowledge checks, and accessibility.
• Maintain RHTP web content and landing pages supporting shared learning, subrecipient resources, and public dissemination of best practices.
• Track platform usage, enrollment, and completion data, and use it to shape future content.

Shared Learning Coordination:

• Provide coordination support for regional learning circles and statewide convenings, including scheduling, registration, agendas, materials, facilitation support, and follow up.
• Maintain subrecipient rosters, contact records, and participation tracking.
• Track topics, questions, and requests surfaced by subrecipients, and route them to the appropriate MCRH staff member or subject matter expert.
• Support MCRH’s direct funding track for certified Rural Health Clinics and EMS agencies, including onboarding communications, office hours logistics, and resource sharing.

Communications:

• Draft and distribute RHTP communications, including newsletters, web content, social media, and updates to MDHHS and partner organizations.
• Maintain consistent branding and required funder acknowledgment across all RHTP materials.
• Ensure RHTP communications reflect MCRH’s role accurately.
• Documentation, Data & Reporting:
• Maintain complete and timely records of convenings, outreach, content produced, and subrecipient engagement in Salesforce and project tracking systems.
• Collect participation counts, feedback, and evaluation data from learning circles and convenings.
• Contribute narrative and supporting documentation to quarterly RHTP performance reporting to MDHHS.
• Facilitates communication activities within the framework of the MCRH Communication Strategy.

Attend educational meetings to keep current with rural health practice, communications, and RHTP developments.

Participate in various projects as assigned.

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in communications, journalism, public relations, marketing, public health, or a related field; an equivalent combination of education and directly relevant experience will be considered.
• Experience facilitating meetings, and/or workgroups, advisory councils, etc.
• Minimum of two years of experience in communications, content development, program coordination, or a closely related field.
• Experience interviewing individuals and developing their experiences into case studies, stories, or published content is strongly preferred.
• Experience with learning management systems such as Thinkific, Teachable, Canvas, or Articulate, or with instructional design, is strongly preferred.
• Familiarity with web content management, design tools such as Canva or Adobe Creative Suite is a plus.
• Experience working with or supporting rural health organizations, including Rural Health Clinics, Critical Access Hospitals, or EMS agencies, is strongly preferred.
• Experience supporting grant funded projects, including funder reporting, is highly valued.

Additional Information

Accommodation

• MCRH reserves the right to adjust job duties and responsibilities based on organizational needs.

Compensation and Benefits

MCRH offers a competitive compensation package and a comprehensive suite of benefits, including:

• 92% employer-covered healthcare premium for employees and their families
• 160 hours of paid time off (PTO)
• 8 paid holidays
• Vision and dental benefits
• Hybrid work environment
• Summer Friday policy supporting work-life balance