The wave of maternity service closures has shown no signs of slowing down in 2026. As hospitals continue to grapple with persistent financial pressures, staffing shortages and falling birth rates, more facilities weigh ending labor and delivery services. The closures…
Rural Health
A year and a half ago, Bob Berbeco was doing what most health system CIOs know all too well. He was fielding AI pitches, launching pilots and watching vendor promises accumulate. Then he decided to stop. For most rural hospitals,…
Lebanon, N.H.-based Dartmouth Health has received an $11.8 million federal grant to establish the Center for Aging with Serious Illness, a multidisciplinary research program focused on older adults with serious illness. The National Institute of General Medical Sciences, part of…
Roughly a third of the nation’s rural hospitals — 720 in all — are at risk of closing, according to a report from the Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform. The findings begs a familiar question among ASC leaders:…
Athens-based Ohio University received $10 million through the state’s Rural Health Transformation Program to help expand the rural healthcare workforce and improve access to care across the state. Four things to know: 1. The university will serve as a lead…
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Fifty-two hospitals across 21 states have converted to rural emergency facilities since the law that created the designation took effect in January 2023, according to data from CMS. Here are the hospitals that have converted to rural emergency status, by…
With no float pools nor backup systems nearby, many rural hospitals have built cross-training programs out of necessity. The lessons they learned about confidence, sequencing and culture are increasingly relevant for health systems of every size. As workforce vacancies and…
After a brief post-pandemic lull, hospital consolidation is accelerating again, with large health systems expanding across state lines, absorbing independent hospitals and reshaping regional care markets. From portfolio resets and strategic exits to cross-market mergers and billion-dollar investments, these moves…
Rural ASCs and independent physician practices are navigating a split picture in 2026. New federal dollars, a federal shortage designation push and emerging payment reform are creating fresh opportunities for surgical access outside hospital walls. At the same time, clinic…
The Health Resources and Services Administration has opened applications for nearly $140 million in new grant funding aimed at expanding healthcare access and strengthening rural health systems. The funding, announced June 29, will support rural hospitals, telehealth, physician workforce development,…