RHAU Announces Changes to Board Leadership

May 30, 2025

St. George, UT – The Rural Health Association of Utah (RHAU) announced today several changes to its Board of Directors.

Phillip Estes, who has served on the RHAU Board since January 2024 and as Vice President since July 2024, recently notified RHAU that he and his family will be relocating to Orlando, Florida for his wife’s dream job. RHAU expresses its deepest gratitude to Phillip for his substantial contributions and wishes him and his family the very best in their new endeavors.

Phillip’s departure created two vacancies: one on the board and one in the Vice President position. After careful consideration, the Board has appointed Dr. Laura Rosch, Campus Dean for the Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine Utah Campus, to the RHAU Board of Directors. Dr. Rosch had been serving on the RHAU Advisory Council in recent months. During that time, she demonstrated tremendous enthusiasm and support for RHAU. Her appointment provides an excellent opportunity for her to further contribute to the organization’s mission in a meaningful way.

Dr. Rosch is an osteopathically trained internal medicine physician and seasoned academic leader with over 30 years of experience. She has held prominent roles including Chair of Internal Medicine at CCOM, Dean at Midwestern University, and Campus Dean at Kansas City University. She has advanced training in endocrinology, nuclear medicine, nutrition, and telemedicine, and practiced at Northwestern Memorial Hospital for over 25 years. Currently, she serves as Campus Dean at Rocky Vista University–Ivins and is a board member of the American College of Osteopathic Internists.

In addition, the RHAU Board of Directors has appointed Dr. Melissa Hinton as the new Vice President. Dr. Hinton has served on the RHAU Board since April 2023. During her tenure, she has played an integral role in planning the Annual RHAU Conferences and has been a passionate advocate for nurses across rural Utah.

“Any time you lose someone as impactful as Phillip, it’s very difficult,” said Kasey Shakespear, Executive Director of RHAU. “We truly appreciate everything Phillip has done for us. I can honestly say RHAU wouldn’t be where it is today without his contributions.” Shakespear also expressed optimism about the new appointments. “We are very fortunate to have Dr. Rosch joining our board to help fill the void left by Phillip’s departure, and to have someone as strong and dedicated as Dr. Hinton stepping into the role of Vice President.”

For more information about Dr. Rosch, Dr. Hinton, and other RHAU updates, please visit our website at www.rhau.org.