Report: Rural Hospitals Need Transforming

Research by the Bipartisan Policy Center shows a need to reform rural healthcare to better serve rural Americans. The Bipartisan Policy Center spoke with more than 90 stakeholders about the current state of rural healthcare in the Upper Midwest last year. The research found that a hospital cutback is needed in rural areas to better align access to healthcare. While that may sound backward, the report says rural communities might benefit if their critical access hospitals are transformed into small inpatient care centers or rural emergency rooms.

The report says not every rural community needs to have a Critical Access Hospital, and that communities should tailor available services to the needs of the community, which for many rural areas are driven by changing demographics. The report also says rural health systems need to equip health professionals with the tools necessary to provide quality care to patients. The research is available online at www.bipartisanpolicy.org.

Source:  NAFB News