As rural hospitals continue to struggle financially, a new type of hospital is slowly taking root, especially in the Southeast.
Saving rural careThat was the case for Irwin County Hospital in Ocilla, Georgia, which was the second rural emergency hospital established in the U.S.
“But ... we felt like we had to try.”Irwin County Hospital became a rural emergency hospital on Feb. 1, 2023.
“We might have been closed if we hadn’t (become a rural emergency hospital), so ... something had to be done,” he said.
Brock Slabach, the National Rural Health Association's chief operations officer, told the AP that upwards of 30 facilities are interested in converting to rural emergency hospitals this year.
Persons:
Carrie Cochran, McClain, George Pink, Weeks, Scott Carver, he’d, ”, Quentin Whitwell, “ We’re, Whitwell, Carver, Traci Harper, Harper’s, “, ‘, Warren, Jared Chaffin, Amy Thimm, they’ll, Ron Te Brink, Chaffin, “ That’s, Kenneth Williams, Williams, Williams isn’t, we’ve, Pink, it’s, Cochran, Brock Slabach, Robert Wood Johnson
Organizations:
National Rural Health Association, U.S, University of North, Sheps, for Health Services Research, Health Research Program, Irwin County Hospital, Hospital, Progressive Health Systems, Warren Memorial Hospital, Alliance Healthcare, Centers, Medicare, Associated Press, National Rural Health Association's, Associated Press Health, Science Department, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, AP
Locations:
Southeast, Rural, Nebraska, Florida, Ocilla , Georgia, U.S, ” Irwin, Jacksonville , Florida, Holly Springs , Mississippi, Memphis