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:…
Rural Health
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…
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…
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…
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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,…
The Georgia Composite Medical Board issued a position statement in early May reinterpreting a 2006 state law in a way that advanced practice registered nurses warn will force clinic closures and cut off healthcare access across rural Georgia, The Georgia…
A little more than a year after H.R. 1 rocked health systems' financial projections and five-year plans, this fall will bring the trial of Luigi Mangione and midterm elections, putting healthcare dissatisfaction back into the spotlight.
A bipartisan group of senators led by Senator Brian Schatz, a Democrat from Hawaii, introduced the Ensuring Access to General Surgery Act of 2026, legislation that would create the first formal federal shortage designation for general surgeons and direct the…
As rural hospitals in the U.S. push to ensure long-term financial sustainability, healthcare leaders are encouraging a focus on collaboration to strengthen overall outcomes. The Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform’s most recent analysis found that 720 rural hospitals,…