283 Rural US Hospitals are in Danger of Closing

Pew Charitable Trusts recently published an article on the predicament of rural hospitals in the US. Here are some key findings from the report:

·         There are 2,322 rural hospitals in the U.S., with a majority in the Midwest and the South.

·         56 rural hospitals that have closed since 2010.

·         Currently, 283 rural hospitals are in danger of closing.

·         From 1983 to 1998, 440 rural hospitals closed in the U.S.

·         Rural hospitals have an average of 50 beds per hospital, compared to 234 at urban hospitals.

·         7 inpatients are served on average per day at rural hospitals, versus 102 at urban hospitals.

Source: Pew Charitable Trusts, August 17, 2015