While hospitals are important employers in Virginia’s rural communities — in 82 percent of rural counties they are among the top five employers — funding cuts threaten their futures. In fiscal years 2015 and 2016 alone, the hospitals will undergo reimbursement and funding cuts of $183 million, according to the report.
Virginia’s rural hospitals also treat an unusually ill and impoverished community: When it comes to patients, disease rates adjusted for age are higher in rural Virginia than in other locations, and nearly 80 percent of patients are uninsured or are on public insurance.
“The future of Virginia’s rural communities is intertwined with their hospitals,” said VHHA president and CEO Sean T. Connaughton, who also said that lawmakers should be aware of the unique challenges rural Virginia hospitals face, in order to better support them.
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