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
Amy Hart, CEO of Cuyuna Regional Medical Center in Crosby, Minn., understands as well as anyone in her position that varied perspectives are valuable in leadership — and that it can be lonely at the top. In that vein, she…
Rural hospitals stand to lose $1.6 billion in revenue in 2026 following the expiration of the ACA’s enhanced premium tax credits, according to an Oct. 13 report from the American Hospital Association. The report, “America’s Rural Hospitals at a Crossroads,”…
Like many healthcare leaders, Wyatt Brieser is intent on turning challenging situations into victories. For Mr. Brieser, who has served in multiple roles at Hammond-Henry Hospital in Geneseo, Ill., over 17 years, including as CEO since July 2025, the process…
The Oregon Health Authority approved the Cascades Rural High Value Network as rural hospitals across the state contend with rising costs and difficulty hiring staff in communities far from urban centers, NPR affiliate Jefferson Public Radio reported Oct. 20. The…
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Most pregnancy-related deaths in the United States are preventable, and many happen after patients go home. CDC data show that more than 80% are preventable and 53% occur between one week and one year after delivery. Risk also builds during…
The federal Rural Health Transformation Program will provide $50 billion to states from 2026 through 2030. Its goal is to improve access to care in rural communities. For hospitals struggling to fill jobs, the funding could help. But I know…
States had obligated about $4 billion of nearly $10 billion in first-year Rural Health Transformation Program funds as of July 31, according to a CMS report based on state-reported data. The 105-page report covers Dec. 29, 2025, through July 31,…
Fifty-seven hospitals across 22 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…
Between 2010 and 2025, U.S. hospitals shut down at comparable rates whether they were in urban or rural areas, according to a research letter published Oct. 8 in JAMA Network. Researchers from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health…