More
than
400
rural
hospitals
across
the
country
are
at
risk
of
closure,
battling
a
mix
of
reimbursement
issues,
workforce
struggles
and
policy
decisions
that
have
left
safety
net
providers
financially
exposed.
Undeniably,
the
rural
healthcare
crisis
carries
serious
consequences
for
population
health
and
people’s
access
to
care,
but
there
are
also
ripple
effects
that
impact
the
economic
stability
of
rural
America
itself.
Healthcare
isn’t
just
a
social
good
—
it’s
a
foundational
infrastructure
that
determines
whether
rural
communities
can
attract
businesses,
sustain
populations
and
be
economically
viable.
I
asked
panelists
to
reflect
on
this
idea
during
a
rural
health
panel
I
was
moderating
Sunday
afternoon
at
ViVE
in
Los
Angeles,
and
they
agreed
that
access
to
healthcare
is
a
prerequisite
for
any
kind
of
rural
economic
development.
Joe
Dunn,
chief
policy
officer
at
the
National
Association
of
Community
Health
Centers
(NACHC),
noted
that
rural
communities
where
residents
must
drive
hours
to
reach
hospitals
or
specialist
care
are
fundamentally
unattractive
to
employers
—
whether
that’s
a
factory,
processing
plant
or
small
business.
He
noted
that
healthcare
is
a
“backbone”
of
economic
vitality,
emphasizing
that
no
community
can
thrive
—
nor
can
the
country
tolerate
—
large
populations
being
cut
off
from
both
care
and
opportunity.
Another
panelist,
Brian
Hoerneman,
CEO
at
Marshfield
Clinic
Health
System,
pointed
out
that
rural
healthcare
organizations
often
serve
as
anchor
institutions
that
help
the
local
economy
grow.
“For
years,
we’ve
been
the
largest
employer
in
the
northern
half
of
Wisconsin,
and
in
many
of
the
other
communities
we
serve,
we’re
the
largest
employer.
Those
jobs
then
fund
local
small
businesses
and
make
up
a
significant
part
of
those
smaller
community
economies.
So
healthcare
is
kind
of
neat
that
way
—
it’s
a
big
obligation,
it’s
something
we
feel
every
day,
but
it
also
has
the
opportunity
to
really
help
support
the
community,”
Hoerneman
remarked.
Gulshan
Mehta,
chief
digital
and
information
officer
at
Blanchard
Valley
Health
System,
added
that
his
health
system
is
the
largest
employer
in
its
region
as
well.
He
also
warned
that
the
economic
damage
isn’t
limited
to
hospital
closures
alone.
The
loss
of
individual
service
lines,
such
as
obstetrics
or
timely
emergency
services,
can
be
just
as
destabilizing.
When
residents
have
to
travel
long
distances
for
basic
care,
these
delays
compound
health
risks
across
the
area.
“You
start
thinking
about
the
commute
times
becoming
a
real
clinical
variable
when
it
comes
to
the
outcomes
of
healthcare
—
not
only
for
the
individual,
but
for
the
community
in
general,”
Mehta
declared.
Overall,
the
panelists
believe
that
healthcare
is
the
foundation
that
keeps
rural
communities
alive
—
both
literally
and
economically.
Photo:
Thomas
Barwick,
Getty
Images