More Americans are now aware of the financial challenges faced by rural hospitals. Media coverage of the 76 rural hospital closures between January 2010 and July 2016 has highlighted the health care access and economic challenges facing rural America. Rural hospital closures are not a new phenomenon – hundreds of rural hospitals closed in the 1980s and 1990s. Recognizing that many rural hospitals are the only health care facility in their community and that their survival is vital to ensure access to health care, it is important to understand where some hospitals are succeeding compared to those that are not, as policymakers try to craft sustainable models of health care for rural areas.
To illustrate the comparison between rural and urban profit margins from 2012-2014 and the geographic variation of profits across states, the North Carolina Rural Health Research Program created the infographic, Profitability of Rural and Urban-Hospitals. For a more complete discussion of these issues, please read our issue briefs, 2012-14 Profitability of Urban and Rural Hospitals by Medicare Payment Classification and Geographic Variation in Risk of Financial Distress among Rural Hospitals.