News

Beginning in 2023, hospitals were allowed to convert to REHs and as of mid-October, 17 hospitals had converted. Eight rural hospitals closed in FY 2023; two are considering reopening as REHs. MedPAC’s March 2024 report to Congress will contain a section on the REH designation,...

The shortage of primary care physicians is getting more attention from the mainstream media. Highlighted in an NBC Nightly News report, the problem is impacting both rural and urban communities which shows issues in Alabama and New York City. The AMA President is interviewed extolling...

Quoting low birthrates, particularly in rural areas of the country, hospitals are shuttering maternity services. Another issue that hospitals are raising is the inability to hire enough staff to run the units leading to closures, although sometimes that may be temporary. Experts worry that this...

More than a third of rural Americans have reported skipping needed care because of costs, this is more than twice the rate of rural residents in six other countries reviewed. According to analysis by the Commonwealth Fund, of the 11 high-income countries studied, the U.S....

According to a new study by the Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform, more than 600 rural hospitals - 30 percent of all rural hospitals in the U.S. - are at risk of closing in the next 6-7 years due to the financial problems...

CMS announced MACs will resume standard practice for evaluating the annual average 96-hour patient length of stay requirement for Critical Access Hospitals, which was waived during the PHE. The guidance document alerts state agencies of a one-time change to the CAH 96-hour patient length of...

The Chartis Center for Rural Health has released its annual list of the top 100 critical access hospitals in the U.S. To determine the 2021 list, the Chartis Center used the Hospital Strength Index, which assesses performance in eight areas: inpatient market share, outpatient market...