Rural Hospitals | LocalHealthGuide

‘When It Starts Getting Into Your Local Hospital, It Becomes Real’

St. James Parish, La. is the hardest-hit counties nationwide for COVID-19 cases per capita, placing its small rural hospital on the pandemic’s front lines.

April 7, 2020 Coronavirus / Rural Health / Rural Hospitals

Pockets of Rural America Are Less Vulnerable to COVID-19’s Economic Fallout — For Now

Small and isolated rural areas that lagged during the economic boom may fare better, relatively speaking, in the aftermath of the pandemic.

March 21, 2020 Coronavirus / Rural Health / Rural Hospitals

Coronavirus Threatens The Lives Of Rural Hospitals Already Stretched To Breaking Point

Rural hospitals may not be able to keep their doors open as the coronavirus pandemic saps their cash, their CEOs warn, just as communities most need them.

March 20, 2020 Coronavirus / Hospitals / Rural Hospitals / Seniors

Millions Of Older Americans Live In Counties With No ICU Beds As Pandemic Intensifies

Fifteen counties in Washington state have no ICU beds. Four have no hospitals at all.

March 17, 2020 Coronavirus / Rural Health / Rural Hospitals

Coronavirus Threatens Strained Rural Health Care System

Rural areas face numerous challenges as they encounter a coronavirus: fewer hospitals, longer distances to care and a higher proportion of vulnerable people

February 28, 2020 Hospitals / Medicaid / Rural Hospitals

Medical Groups Slam Trump Medicaid Rule

Rule would slash funding putting hospitals in peril of closing, particularly rural hospitals that already are shuttering at unprecedented rates, opponents say.

January 10, 2020 Rural Health / Rural Hospitals

High-deductible plans hurting rural patients and their hospitals

Rural patients often are unable to pay their high deductibles, leaving their local hospital unpaid for the services it provides their local community.

December 16, 2019 Health Insurance / Rural Health / Rural Hospitals

As rural Americans struggle for health care access, insurers may be making things worse

Insurance plans often do not cover local providers forcing patients to travel further to get care.

October 31, 2019 Hospitals / Rural Hospitals

Rural and Safety Net Hospitals Facing Cut in Federal Support

Hospital leaders continue to hold out hope that Congress will protect the funding for hospitals’ charitable care before cuts go into effect in a few weeks.

July 9, 2019 Addiction / Opioids / Rural Hospitals

Six-step plan reduced opioid use in rural clinic patients

A six-step plan that took a system approach cut use of high-dose opioids by more than 14 percent.

July 1, 2019 Health Policy / Hospitals / Rural Hospitals

Have Cancer, Must Travel: Patients Left In Lurch After Hospital Closes

The first installment of year-long series, which follows how the closure of one rural hospital disrupts a community’s health care, economy and equilibrium.