Local CEO's National Recognition Puts Spotlight on Sanilac County's Healthcare Success Story

Steve Barnett, CEO and President

At a time when rural hospital closures make national headlines, Sanilac County is making news for a different reason: growth.

McKenzie Health System CEO Steve Barnett has been named to Becker's Hospital Review's 2025 list of "Critical Access Hospital Presidents and CEOs to Know"—a national recognition that highlights his work leading one of rural America's rare success stories.

While other rural communities are losing their hospitals, Sanilac County is building a new one.

"This recognition belongs to our entire team and this community," Barnett said. "Rural healthcare doesn't survive on one person's effort. It survives when staff, providers, board members, and community members all refuse to give up on keeping quality care local."

Becker's Healthcare, read by hospital administrators nationwide, selected Barnett from among hundreds of rural hospital CEOs. The publication focuses on leaders who are expanding access and services despite the significant challenges facing rural healthcare.

For McKenzie Health System, that's meant recruiting quality providers to the area, adding and expanding services, investing in technology, and leading the planning and development of a new hospital facility—a rarity in rural America, where much healthcare news involves closures and cutbacks.

"Steve's leadership has been instrumental, but what makes this work is that it's always been about serving the community, not building an empire," said Mike Dreyer, Chair of the McKenzie Health System Board of Trustees. "This national recognition puts a spotlight on what's possible when a rural community commits to keeping healthcare local."

The recognition highlights Sanilac County at a time when rural communities are often overlooked or written off. It demonstrates that rural healthcare can thrive with the right leadership, community support, and commitment to meeting local needs.

McKenzie Health System is one of Sanilac County's largest employers, with over 300 staff members. The organization serves residents across Sanilac County and the surrounding area and continues planning for a new hospital designed to meet the community's healthcare needs for decades to come.