Dr. Matthew McCullough Named RHAU Board President-Elect

April 3, 2025 

St. George, UT – The Rural Health Association of Utah (RHAU) is proud to announce that Dr. Matthew McCullough, Ph.D., has been elected as President-Elect of the RHAU Board of Directors. Dr. McCullough currently serves as the Rural Hospital Improvement Director for the Utah Hospital Association and has been an active member of the RHAU Board since January 2024.

With a distinguished career in rural health, Dr. McCullough previously led the Utah Telehealth Network (UTN) as its Director for 4 years and served as Director of the Utah Office of Primary Care and Rural Health for 3 years before that. His longstanding commitment to advancing healthcare access in rural Utah has made him a valued advocate and leader within RHAU.

As President-Elect, Dr. McCullough will serve alongside current RHAU Board President Kurt Loveless, CEO of Kane County Hospital. At the end of Loveless’ term in December 2025, Dr. McCullough will assume the role of President for a two-year term. Loveless expressed his excitement for Dr. McCullough’s appointment “Matt has extensive experience in healthcare,” noted Loveless. “His experience will help RHAU to grow and to serve more of our members throughout the State of Utah.  With his vision and leadership, RHAU is in great hands.”

Reflecting on his new role, Dr. McCullough shared his enthusiasm and vision for the future of rural healthcare in Utah. “I am honored and excited to serve alongside Kasey Shakespear and the RHAU board in this new role. This is a critical time of growth for RHAU in terms of membership and services. I am confident in our future because we have the most intelligent and committed board members I have ever had the opportunity to work with. We have developed an exciting strategic plan and the future is very bright for RHAU.”

Kasey Shakespear, Executive Director of RHAU, expressed confidence in Dr. McCullough’s leadership. “Dr. McCullough is someone I have admired and worked alongside throughout my career,” Shakespear noted. “His expertise and passion for rural health will be a tremendous asset to RHAU. Kurt has set a high standard as President, but if anyone can step into that role seamlessly, it’s Matt McCullough.”

With his new appointment, Dr. McCullough has vacated his previous role as Board Secretary, and RHAU is in the process of restructuring leadership to fill this vacancy. Updates on new board appointments will be available at www.rhau.org/news.

RHAU looks forward to the leadership and vision Dr. McCullough will bring to the organization as it continues to advocate for and strengthen healthcare in Utah’s rural communities.