rural hospitals

Rural Hospitals Teeter On Financial Cliff As COVID-19 Medicare Loans Come Due

10:02am September 22, 2020

by Sarah Jane Tribble

The federal loans were meant to help hospitals survive the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet they're coming due now — at a time when many rural hospitals are still desperate for help.

When the pandemic hit this spring, U.S. rural hospitals lost an estimated 70% of their income as patients avoided the emergency room, doctor's appointments and elective surgeries. "It was devastating," says Maggie Elehwany of the National Rural Health Ass

Health & Safety

Rural Hospitals Are Sinking Under COVID-19 Financial Pressures

7:00am August 22, 2020

by Sarah Jane Tribble

America's rural hospitals were struggling even before the pandemic. Now, the loss of revenue from months of deferred treatments and surgeries have pulled more to the brink, as federal relief fades.

The recently closed Pickens County Medical Center in Carrollton, Ala., is one of the latest health care facilities to fall victim to a wave of rural hospital shutdowns across the U.S. in recent years. With hundreds of hospitals endangered, residents are w

National

Small-Town Hospitals Are Closing Just As Coronavirus Arrives In Rural America

5:00am April 09, 2020

by Kirk Siegler

Small-town hospitals were already closing at an alarming rate before COVID-19, but now the trend appears to be accelerating just as the disease arrives in rural America.

"If we're not able to address the short-term cash needs of rural hospitals, we're going to see hundreds ... close before this crisis ends," warns the head of the National Rural Hospital Association. "This is not hyperbole."

Health & Safety

Coronavirus Threatens Rural Hospitals Already At The Financial Brink

9:39am March 21, 2020

by Lauren Weber

About half of U.S. rural hospitals operate in the red on a good day. Now facing a pandemic, hospital CEOs warn that, without federal help, their doors may close when the community most needs them.

Study Of Rural Hospitals Vulnerable To Closing Ranks N.C. High On List

11:56am March 02, 2020

by Neal Charnoff

A national study shows that North Carolina ranks high on a list of states with community hospitals in danger of closing.

Glenn Hurst gives Jeannette Massen a checkup at the Northcrest Living Center in Council Bluffs, Iowa. As they prepare to caucus, voters weigh which candidate to support and what health care should look like in the future.

As Caucus Day Nears, Iowa Voters Guided By Big Health Care Changes

1:49pm January 31, 2020

Health care has consistently polled as the No. 1 issue for Iowa voters. As they prepare to caucus, voters weigh which candidate to support and what health care should look like in the future.

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Visitors and park rangers at historic Fort Scott check out a medevac helicopter operated by Midwest AeroCare during the Kansas town's Good Ol' Days festival.

Health & Safety

Air Ambulances Woo Rural Consumers With Memberships That May Leave Them Hanging

6:24pm September 14, 2019

by Sarah Jane Tribble

State regulators and even one medevac company have raised doubts about prepaid subscriptions and promised benefits offered by air ambulance companies. Gaps in coverage can be a problem.

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Robert Findley died after falling on the ice during a winter storm this February in Fort Scott, Kan. Mercy Hospital had recently closed, so he had to be flown to a neurology center 90 miles north in Kansas City, Mo.

Health & Safety

No Mercy: After The Hospital Closes, How Do People Get Emergency Care?

7:55am August 18, 2019

by Sarah Jane Tribble

The loss of the longtime hospital in Fort Scott, Kan., has forced a change in the way ER care is provided, including a greater reliance on air ambulances.

The wide-open spaces of Arco, Idaho, appeal to some doctors with a love of the outdoors.

Health & Safety

Creative Recruiting Helps Rural Hospitals Overcome Doctor Shortages

7:47pm August 15, 2019

by Yuki Noguchi

Recruiting doctors to come to work in rural hospitals has always been a challenge, especially in a hot job market. But some hospitals in remote areas are finding ways to lure much-needed talent.

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After a difficult time in her life, Jill Hill knew she needed therapy. But it was hard to get the help she needed in the rural town she lives in, Grass Valley, Calif., until she found a local telehealth program.

Health & Safety

With Rural Health Care Stretched Thin, More Patients Turn To Telehealth

8:09am July 07, 2019

by Patti Neighmond

Advances in online tech are revolutionizing health care, with patients now emailing doctors, filling prescriptions or even getting therapy via a video session. But what if you can't afford broadband?

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