Giving Compass' Take:
- A report from the American Hospital Association indicates that rural hospitals are still experiencing closures and high labor costs are intensifying these issues.
- How can donors explore solutions and help fill gaps in rural hospitals?
- Read about the consequences of rural hospitals closing in the United States.
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"Low reimbursement, staffing shortages, low patient volumes, regulatory barriers, and Covid-19 disruptions all played a role in the shuttering of 136 rural hospitals between 2010 and 2021, including a record 19 closures in 2020," John Commins reports for HealthLeaders, citing a report from the American Hospital Association, And, the report says, "Those problems appear to be worsening as rural hospitals contend with rising costs for labor, drugs, supplies and equipment, threatening care access for rural Americans." Key takeaways from the report include:
- 35 percent of all U.S. hospitals are rural. That includes critical-access hospitals, frontier hospitals, and sole community hospitals.
- Rural hospitals are often their community's largest employer, and drive the local economy.
- Rural hospitals support 1 in 12 rural jobs nationwide.
- AHA wants Congress to extend subsidies under the Medicare-Dependent Hospital and Enhanced Low-volume Adjustment programs. Both programs are set to expire Sept. 30.
Read the full article about hospital closures by Heather Chapman at The Rural Blog.