Friday, September 4, 2026 - Updated Daily
Friday, September 4, 2026 - Updated Daily
Rural providers are being asked to preserve access with urban-level expectations and far thinner margins. That is the core tension any rural health transformation program must confront. For hospitals, post-acute operators, clinics, and community-based organizations…
On December 29, 2025, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the inaugural state awards from the $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program CMS Announces $50 Billion in Awards to Strengthen Rural Health…
Seven hundred fifty-six rural hospitals in the United States are at risk of closure due to financial instability, with over 40% classified as being at immediate risk. These figures are derived from the Center for…
According to a Feb. 11 report by Chartis, 432 rural hospitals are at risk of closure. Chartis analyzed 15 indicators and identified 10 significant predictors, including Medicaid expansion status, average length of stay, occupancy, changes…
With increasing older adult demand for hospital care, an ongoing wave of nursing home closures is creating post-acute access issues. Since 2020, 774 nursing homes have closed, and only seven new facilities opened in 2024….
Within the normal news cycle, legislation often gets ignored, especially in this hyper volatile election cycle we have begun. I’m expecting very little in terms of reform or new legislation on important healthcare issues to…
Among the many healthcare sectors I follow, rural healthcare has become my favorite. Oddly enough, it’s not because of the policy issues that exist, though it should be. It is because it is an overlooked…
In 2021, Congress passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021. Within the Act, a new Medicare provider was created – the Rural Emergency Hospital (REH). The final rule is available here: Rural Emergency Hospital Final…
Two articles in my email caught my attention to start the week. Both have to do with SNF closure risks, one regarding rural facilities and the other regarding staffing challenges. Interesting enough, both cross the…
I spend a lot of time in rural America, primarily in the upper-Midwest (Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, etc.). With the pandemic, the struggling economy, high inflation, high energy costs, labor supply challenges, and rising interest rates,…
Healthcare executive, consultant, and author covering post-acute care, senior living, and the economics behind both - for 30+ years.
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