Record Number of Rural Hospitals Closed in 2019

06 Jul Record Number of Rural Hospitals Closed in 2019

Nearly one in five Americans live in rural areas and depend on their local hospital for care. Since 2005, 171 of those hospitals have closed, according to the Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research. The number of rural hospital closures has steadily increased over the past three years, with a record-breaking 18 rural hospitals shutting down in 2019, according to the Sheps Center. Of the 171 rural hospitals that have shut down over the past 15 years, 63 were designated critical access hospitals.  Click here for details from the Shep Center.