With over 200 hospitals at risk of immediate closure nationwide, the healthcare system, at least in the rural US, is in a difficult position. Several reasons are contributing to the crisis. The US healthcare system has already been facing a growing shortage of nurses, coupled with substantial financial losses and a lack of financial reserves to sustain operations, rural hospitals throughout the country are in an unprecedented position.
Being aware of major developments in the healthcare industry is essential as a nurse. Granted, the staffing shortage for nurses in the US opens opportunities for new nurses. Still, the closure of rural hospitals throughout the country is a concern for many. This post will give you a quick overview of the severity of the situation.
Rural Hospital Closure Risk in the US
Barring only Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, and Rhode Island, the states throughout the US have at least one rural hospital at risk of immediately shutting down. In over 50% of the states with rural hospitals at risk of closure, a quarter or more of rural hospitals are at high risk. According to the Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform, six states have over 50% of hospitals at a high risk of immediate closure.
In Texas, 76 rural hospitals are at risk of shutting down. That is 50% of all the rural hospitals in the state. Hawaii faces the most significant crisis, with nine hospitals at risk, representing 75% of rural hospitals in the state. We have put together a table to highlight the extent of the hospital closure problem to put it into perspective:
| Name of State | Rural Hospitals Risking Closure | Percentage of State Total |
| Alabama | 29 | 60% |
| Alaska | 4 | 31% |
| Arizona | 3 | 18% |
| Arkansas | 22 | 46% |
| California | 13 | 24% |
| Colorado | 7 | 17% |
| Connecticut | 2 | 67% |
| Delaware | 0 | 0% |
| Florida | 8 | 38% |
| Georgia | 21 | 32% |
| Hawaii | 9 | 75% |
| Idaho | 2 | 7% |
| Illinois | 13 | 18% |
| Indiana | 11 | 21% |
| Iowa | 22 | 24% |
| Kansas | 55 | 53% |
| Kentucky | 13 | 18% |
| Louisiana | 14 | 27% |
| Maine | 9 | 36% |
| Maryland | 0 | 0% |
| Massachusetts | 1 | 20% |
| Michigan | 12 | 19% |
| Minnesota | 15 | 16% |
| Mississippi | 38 | 54% |
| Missouri | 20 | 35% |
| Montana | 12 | 23% |
| Nebraska | 7 | 10% |
| Nevada | 4 | 31% |
| New Hampshire | 2 | 12% |
| New Jersey | 0 | 0% |
| New York | 21 | 41% |
| North Carolina | 10 | 19% |
| North Dakota | 6 | 16% |
| Ohio | 10 | 14% |
| Oklahoma | 33 | 46% |
| Oregon | 4 | 12% |
| Pennsylvania | 12 | 30% |
| Rhode Island | 0 | 0% |
| South Carolina | 8 | 31% |
| South Dakota | 8 | 18% |
| Tennessee | 21 | 44% |
| Texas | 76 | 50% |
| Utah | 2 | 10% |
| Vermont | 3 | 23% |
| Virginia | 10 | 34% |
| Washington | 13 | 33% |
| West Virginia | 7 | 27% |
| Wisconsin | 5 | 7% |
| Wyoming | 8 | 33% |
Considerations
According to the Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform, 631 rural hospitals across the country are at a high or immediate closure risk, accounting for almost 30% of the total. The hospitals with a higher risk of closure face high dependence on nonpatient service revenues like local or state tax subsidies. Additionally, these hospitals also do not have sustainable financial reserves to support operations.
In the grander scheme of things, adequate federally proposed solutions must be enacted to solve the problems facing small rural hospitals. If you are a nurse nearing the time to renew your credentials, now is as good a time as any to remain active in the healthcare sector.
With staffing shortages, navigating the day-to-day as a nurse and tough schedules can make it difficult to meet he requirements for your state’s nursing board for nursing continuing education courses. Fortunately, online nursing CEUs like those offered by Fast CE For Less at www.fastceforless.com offer a convenient, flexible, and affordable solution for your nursing continuing education needs.
