Health Education

Rural Hospitals Are Critical – By: Mary Ellen Pratt, FACHE, CEO

Bizzuka Administrator - Thursday, August 10, 2017 | Comments (0)

Rural hospitals are a critical, yet vulnerable, part of our national healthcare delivery system. 
Rural hospitals provide essential health care services to nearly 51 million Americans living in rural communities. The nation’s nearly 2,000 rural community hospitals frequently serve as an anchor for their region’s health-related services, providing the structural and financial backbone for physician practice groups, health clinics and post-acute and long-term care services. Typically, classification for small or rural hospitals is based on whether the hospital meets at least one of the following criteria: has 100 or fewer beds, has 4,000 or fewer admissions or is located outside a metropolitan area. The Americans that live in rural areas depend upon the hospital as an important – and often only source of health care in their community. They provide emergency department services, inpatient care, outpatient care, long-term care, and care coordination services. In addition, these hospitals often provide essential, related services such as social work and other types of community outreach.

Rural hospitals are critical to the economic outlook for a community.  Healthcare spending in a community has a significant impact on the local economy. Rural hospitals impact communities in both their capacity to attract new businesses and the wages generated through the facility.

Typically:

  • Quality rural health services, including emergency services, are needed in rural communities to attract business and industry, as well as retirees
  • On average, the health sector constitutes 14% of total employment in rural communities, with rural hospitals often being one of the largest employers in the area
  • On average, a Critical Access Hospital maintains a payroll of $6.8 million, employing 141 people
  • Although rural hospitals are critical to their communities, increasingly the unique circumstances, characteristics, and challenges of rural hospitals have resulted in different approaches to healthcare than those used in an urban environment.

Rural-specific challenges include: 

  • Rural residents are older, poorer, and more likely to have chronic diseases than urban residents.
  • Rural hospitals are typically smaller than urban hospitals.
  • Rural hospitals provide a higher percentage of care in outpatient settings and are more likely to offer home health and skilled nursing; all of which have lower Medicare margins than inpatient care.
  • Rural hospitals rely more heavily on reimbursement from public programs whose payments fall short of costs.
Because of their size, modest assets and financial reserves, and higher percentages of Medicare patients, small and rural hospitals disproportionately rely on government payments. Medicare payment systems often fail to recognize the unique circumstances of small or rural hospitals. With the continuing search by Congress for savings to offset spending, small and rural health care providers are in continual jeopardy of further cuts. Thirty-six of the 64 Louisiana Parishes are designated as rural. St. James Parish Hospital is designated as a rural parish and St. James Parish Hospital is a rural hospital.
As a rural provider, St. James Parish Hospital is proud of its record to serve our community’s needs.  We are open 24/7 to provide emergency services before, during and after hurricanes, floods and other community state of emergencies.  We focus on primary care and support it by continuing to expand specialty services and hire more physicians. Our goal is to keep patients local, to support the local economy and our community.  We remain inspired by our pledge to be “Large enough to Serve, Small enough to care.”

Comments

Recent Posts

Tags

Heart Attack Heart Attack Symptoms Arthritis Expansion Occupational Health Urgent Care Occupational Medicine New Blood Pressure Guidelines Blood Pressure and Aging Blood Pressure Blood Pressure and Seniors Convenience COPD REHAB COPD COPD PHYSICAL THERAPY COPD WINTER price transparency value culture vision Kidney Stones lithotripsy Risks of death Factors of health determinants of health population health Physician Engagement Physician Alignment Physician Satisfaction Physician Satisfaction Survey Press Ganey ACO Accountable Care Organization Sepsis Flu Shot flu vaccine myths flu shot for kids flu shot myths Flu Vaccine Care Coordinator Medical Identity Theft Community Immunity Breast Cancer Lower Risk of Breast Cancer Critical Access Hospital Rural Hospital CAH ER ER versus Urgent Care Where to go Heart Health American Heart Month National Heart Awareness Month Natural Disaster Hospital During Disaster Flood Tornado Hurricane Physician Partnership Independent Physician Physicians Employed by Hospitals BRCA1 Gene Testing BRCA2 MDRO Antibiotic Stewardship Antibiotic Resistance Free Wellness Screenings Annual Wellness Visit Medicare Wellness Visit Glaucoma Flu Cold Skin Cancer Ringing in ear Tinnitus Urinary Problem UIT Urinary Track Infection Psoriasis Wound Care Diabetes Diabetic Foot Ulcer Amputation PAD Peripheral Artery Disease Diabetic Neuropathy Nutrition National Nutrition Month Diabetic

Archive

Back To Top