When Rural Hospitals Close, More Than Health Care Is Lost

Governing: If you live in a rural area, there’s a good chance that the nearest hospital is in a precarious financial situation. According to the consulting firm Navigant, at least 21 percent of the nation’s rural hospitals are at high risk of closure; iVantage, a health analytics firm, describes 27 percent of the hospitals as “vulnerable.” Indeed, at least 95 rural hospitals have closed since 2010, according to the University of North Carolina’s Sheps Center for Health Services Research.

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