Jose Alba

Director of Community Engagement

Jose serves as Director of Community Engagement at AscendRural, where he leads efforts to build strong, collaborative relationships with rural communities across the country. In this role, he works to ensure that local perspectives shape innovation and that AscendRural’s initiatives reflect the unique strengths, values, and aspirations of rural America.

Jose brings extensive experience in rural healthcare leadership and community engagement. Most recently, he served as President of CentraCare – Long Prairie, where he oversaw a fully integrated healthcare campus including a critical access hospital, rural health clinic, and family medicine practice. During his tenure, the campus achieved its highest employee engagement scores and was recognized as a Lown Institute “Top 30 Socially Responsible Hospital.”

Previously, Jose held senior leadership roles at Astera Health, where he played a key role in designing a multimillion-dollar, next-generation rural health center and advancing innovative models of outpatient care. Throughout his career, he has driven measurable improvements in patient access, satisfaction, workforce development, and employee retention.

Beyond his professional work, Jose is deeply committed to strengthening rural communities. He has served on several boards, including Rural Minnesota CEP, the Minnesota State Foundation, and the United Way of Ottertail and Wadena Counties, and has been actively involved in local Rotary and Lions organizations.
Jose is passionate about community-driven solutions and believes in the power of local voices to shape a stronger, healthier rural future.