rural hospitals

Cavan Images / Getty Images

9:39am Mar 21, 2020

Health & Safety Health & Safety

Coronavirus Threatens Rural Hospitals Already At The Financial Brink

by Lauren Weber

About half of U.S. rural hospitals operate in the red on a good day. Now facing a pandemic, hospital CEOs warn that, without federal help, their doors may close when the community most needs them.
11:56am Mar 02, 2020

Politics & Government Politics & Government Health & Safety

Study Of Rural Hospitals Vulnerable To Closing Ranks N.C. High On List

by Neal Charnoff

A national study shows that North Carolina ranks high on a list of states with community hospitals in danger of closing.
Walker Pickering for NPR

1:49pm Jan 31, 2020

Politics & Government Politics & Government Health & Safety

As Caucus Day Nears, Iowa Voters Guided By Big Health Care Changes

Health care has consistently polled as the No. 1 issue for Iowa voters. As they prepare to caucus, voters weigh which candidate to support and what health care should look like in the future.

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Sarah Jane Tribble / Kaiser Health News

6:24pm Sep 14, 2019

Health & Safety Health & Safety

Air Ambulances Woo Rural Consumers With Memberships That May Leave Them Hanging

by Sarah Jane Tribble

State regulators and even one medevac company have raised doubts about prepaid subscriptions and promised benefits offered by air ambulance companies. Gaps in coverage can be a problem.

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Christopher Smith for Kaiser Health News

7:55am Aug 18, 2019

Health & Safety Health & Safety

No Mercy: After The Hospital Closes, How Do People Get Emergency Care?

by Sarah Jane Tribble

The loss of the longtime hospital in Fort Scott, Kan., has forced a change in the way ER care is provided, including a greater reliance on air ambulances.
Thomas Hawk / Flickr

7:47pm Aug 15, 2019

Health & Safety Health & Safety

Creative Recruiting Helps Rural Hospitals Overcome Doctor Shortages

by Yuki Noguchi

Recruiting doctors to come to work in rural hospitals has always been a challenge, especially in a hot job market. But some hospitals in remote areas are finding ways to lure much-needed talent.

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Salgu Wissmath for NPR

8:09am Jul 07, 2019

Health & Safety Health & Safety

With Rural Health Care Stretched Thin, More Patients Turn To Telehealth

by Patti Neighmond

Advances in online tech are revolutionizing health care, with patients now emailing doctors, filling prescriptions or even getting therapy via a video session. But what if you can't afford broadband?

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Christopher Smith for Kaiser Health News

10:29am Jun 29, 2019

Health & Safety Health & Safety

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

by Sarah Jane Tribble

As the rural town of Fort Scott, Kan., grapples with the closure of its hospital, cancer patients bear a heavy burden. They now have to go elsewhere for treatments they used to get locally.

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Sydney Boles for NPR

9:09am May 21, 2019

Economy Economy Health & Safety

Poll: Many Rural Americans Struggle With Financial Insecurity, Access To Health Care

A new poll from NPR, Harvard and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation gives a glimpse into rural life in America today, finding that many people living in rural communities live on the edge financially.

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Christopher Smith for Kaiser Health News

11:20am May 14, 2019

National National Health & Safety

No Mercy: How A Kansas Town Is Grappling With Its Hospital's Closure

by Sarah Jane Tribble

People in Fort Scott, Kan., depended on their local hospital for more than a century. In December, the hospital closed. Fort Scott residents now are trying to cope with life without it.
Blake Farmer/WPLN

8:05am Apr 07, 2019

National National Health & Safety

Economic Ripples: Hospital Closure Hurts A Town's Ability To Attract Retirees

by Blake Farmer

Celina, Tenn., has long lured retirees, with its scenic hills and affordability. These newcomers help fuel the local economy. But a recent hospital closure makes the town a harder sell.
Virojt Changyencham / Getty Images

11:00am Mar 26, 2019

National National Health & Safety

Hospital Finances Improve After Medicaid Expansion, But At Whose Expense?

by Phil Galewitz

Now that Colorado has expanded Medicaid coverage to include more low-income residents, hospitals are better off financially. But that hasn't stopped them from shifting costs to other insured patients.