Rural Hospital Closures

199 Rural Hospital Closures and Conversions since January 2005
101 complete closures* + 10 REH conversions** + 88 converted closures***

156 closures and conversions since 2010
78 complete closures* + 10 REH conversions** + 68 converted closures***

* facilities no longer provide health care services
** facilities no longer provide in-patient services, but convert to Rural Emergency Hospital (REH)
*** facilities no longer provide in-patient services, but continue to provide some health care services
[e.g., primary care, skilled nursing care, long-term care]

 

© 2014, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. All rights reserved.

 

What is a closed hospital?

We follow the convention of the Office of Inspector General that a closed hospital is A facility that stopped providing general, short-term, acute inpatient care [….] We did not consider a hospital closed if it: Merged with, or was sold to, another hospital but the physical plant continued to provide inpatient acute care, Converted to critical access status, or Both closed and reopened during the same calendar year and at the same physical location.”

A facility that no longer provides health services is considered a “complete hospital closure.” Note that a facility that closed its inpatient unit but continued to provide other health services, like emergency, rehabilitation, and/or outpatient services, at the same physical location would be considered a “converted hospital closure“. Likewise, a facility that dramatically scaled back its inpatient services (e.g., from 70 beds to 2 beds) would be considered “open” because it continues to provide inpatient services (albeit in a vastly reduced manner).

In some instances, a hospital closes but reopens in another location. In these circumstances, we use our best judgment as to whether access to inpatient services in the rural community was considerably affected by the move to the new location. A move across town or outside city limits would generally not be considered a “closure”; reopening in a community 10-15 miles away, however, likely would.

Make sure to see our FAQ below for additional information.

Rural Hospital Closures 2005-Current

Choose a sorting method to display the table.
HospitalStateRUCACBSAMedicare PaymentClosure YearNumber of BedsStatus
Tristar Ashland City Medical Center Tennessee2MetroCAH202312Rural Emergency Hospital (REH)
Jefferson County HospitalMississippi10NeitherPPS202312Rural Emergency Hospital (REH)
Assumption Community HospitalLouisiana1MetroCAH202314Rural Emergency Hospital
Martin General HospitalNorth Carolina7NeitherMDH202343None
St. Margaret's Health - Spring ValleyIllinois4MicroMDH202344None
Sturgis HospitalMichigan4MicroPPS202349Emergency dept, Outpatient services
St. Luke's Health - Memorial Hospital - San AugustineTexas10NeitherCAH20239Rural Emergency Hospital
Anson General HospitalTexas10MetroMDH20237Rural Emergency Hospital
Irwin County HospitalGeorgia7NeitherPPS202338Rural Emergency Hospital
Alliance Healthcare SystemMississippi2MetroSCH202327Rural Emergency Hospital
UPMC Lock HavenPennsylvania4MicroMDH202325Outpatient Emergency Department
Falls Community Hospital and ClinicTexas7MetroSCH202336Rural Emergency Hospital
St. Mark's Medical CenterTexas7NeitherPPS202338Rural Emergency Hospital
Crosbyton Clinic HospitalTexas10MetroCAH20232Rural Emergency Hospital
St. Margaret's Health - Peru
Illinois4MicroMDH202349None
AllianceHealth Clinton
Oklahoma7MicroSCH202245Urgent care
Ascension St. Vincent Dunn Indiana4MicroCAH202225None
Blessing Health KeokukIowa4MicroMDH202249None
Callaway Community HospitalMissouri4MetroPPS202218None
Acoma-Canoncito-Laguna Service Unit New Mexico2MicroIHS20226Primary care, outpatient, radiology, urgent care clinic
Audrain Community HospitalMissouri4MicroSCH202240None
Galesburg Cottage HospitalIllinois4MicroMDH202296Urgent or Emergency Care
Bristow Medical CenterOklahoma7.1MetroPPS202130Urgent care and clinic
MercyOne Oakland Medical CenterNebraska10NeitherCAH202116Primary care clinic
Community HealthCare System - St. MarysKansas7MetroCAH202125Outpatient/Primary Care/Rural Health Clinic
Perry Community HospitalTennessee10NeitherPPS202025None
Northridge Medical CenterGeorgia7MicroPPS202027Nursing or Rehabilitation Facility
Southwest Georgia Regional Medical CenterGeorgia7NeitherCAH202025None
Shands Lake Shore Regional Medical CenterFlorida4MicroPPS202087None
Cumberland River HospitalTennessee6NeitherPPS20201None
Bluefield Regional Medical CenterWest Virginia4MicroMDH202057Urgent or Emergency Care
St. Luke's Cushing HospitalKansas4MetroPPS202024Urgent or Emergency Care
Shands Live Oak Regional Medical CenterFlorida7NeitherCAH202025Urgent or Emergency Care
Shands Starke Regional Medical CenterFlorida2NeitherCAH202025Urgent or Emergency Care
Williamson Memorial HospitalWest Virginia7NeitherPPS202027Primary care clinic and a drug rehab center
Decatur County General HospitalTennessee10NeitherMDH202040None
Sumner Community HospitalKansas7MetroPPS202042None
Edward W. McCready Memorial HospitalMaryland10MetroPPS20203Urgent or Emergency Care
Mayo Clinic Health System-SpringfieldMinnesota10MicroCAH202024Outpatient/Primary Care/Rural Health Clinic
Central Hospital of BowieTexas7NeitherMDH202037None
UPMC Susquehanna SunburyPennsylvania5MicroMDH202070Outpatient/Primary Care/Rural Health Clinic
Mountain View Regional HospitalVirginia4MicroPPS202020Nursing or Rehabilitation Facility
Pinnacle Regional HospitalMissouri2NeitherPPS202046None
Ellwood City Medical CenterPennsylvania2MicroMDH201952None
Black River Community Medical CenterMissouri4MicroPPS20193Urgent or Emergency Care
Texas General- Van Zandt Regional Medical CenterTexas7NeitherPPS20191None
Hamlin Memorial HospitalTexas10.1MetroMDH201925Outpatient/Primary Care/Rural Health Clinic
Sitka Community HospitalAlaska7NeitherCAH201912Outpatient/Primary Care/Rural Health Clinic
Chillicothe HospitalTexas10.2NeitherCAH201921Outpatient/Primary Care/Rural Health Clinic
Fayette Regional Health SystemIndiana4MicroPPS201945Urgent or Emergency Care
Regional General HospitalFlorida2NeitherPPS201920None
Albert Lea- Mayo Clinic Health SystemMinnesota4MicroSCH2019142Outpatient/Primary Care/Rural Health Clinic
Jamestown Regional Medical CenterTennessee10.2NeitherSCH201954None
Mercy Hospital El RenoOklahoma4.1MetroPPS201948Urgent or Emergency Care
Takoma Regional HospitalTennessee4MicroMDH201973Urgent or Emergency Care
Horton Community HospitalKansas10.3NeitherCAH201915None
Georgiana Medical CenterAlabama10NeitherMDH201922None
I-70 Community HospitalMissouri10MicroCAH201915None
Oswego Community HospitalKansas10.2MicroCAH201912None
Doctor's Hospital at Deer CreekLouisiana7MicroPPS201910None
Mercy Hospital Fort ScottKansas7NeitherMDH201843Urgent or Emergency Care
Fairfield Memorial HospitalSouth Carolina2MetroCAH201825None
Little River Healthcare Cameron HospitalTexas7.1NeitherPPS20186None
Little River Healthcare Rockdale HospitalTexas7.1NeitherCAH201825None
Adventist Health Feather RiverCalifornia4.1MetroMDH2018100None
Latimer County General HospitalOklahoma7NeitherMDH201833None
Southeast Health Center of Ripley CountyMissouri10.2NeitherMDH201821Outpatient/Primary Care/Rural Health Clinic
McKenzie Regional HospitalTennessee7NeitherPPS201829None
Sayre Community HospitalOklahoma7.2MicroPPS201822None
Stamford Memorial HospitalTexas7.1MetroPPS201822Outpatient/Primary Care/Rural Health Clinic
Twin Rivers Regional Medical CenterMissouri4MicroPPS2018100None
Coalinga Regional Medical CenterCalifornia4MetroSCH201822None
Moses-Ludington HospitalNew York7NeitherCAH201815Urgent or Emergency Care
Tri-Town Regional HospitalNew York7.2NeitherPPS20184Outpatient/Primary Care/Rural Health Clinic
Our Community HospitalNorth Carolina10.1MicroCAH201720Nursing or Rehabilitation Facility
Weimar Medical CenterTexas10.1NeitherPPS201738None
Lake Shore Health Care CenterNew York10.1MicroPPS201725Urgent or Emergency Care
Sandhills Regional Medical CenterNorth Carolina4MicroPPS201764None
Pioneer Community Hospital of Patrick CountyVirginia6NeitherCAH201725None
Care Regional Medical CtrTexas4.1MetroPPS201763None
East Texas Medical Center- TrinityTexas7.2MicroMDH201745None
Campbellton-Graceville HospitalFlorida7.1NeitherCAH201725None
Copper Basin Medical CenterTennessee10.1MetroCAH201721None
Davie Medical Center- MocksvilleNorth Carolina7.1MetroPPS201710None
Gulf Coast Medical CenterTexas7.1MicroPPS201694None
Nix Community General HospitalTexas7NeitherPPS201618None
North Georgia Medical CenterGeorgia7NeitherPPS201640Urgent or Emergency Care
Epic Medical CenterOklahoma10.2NeitherMDH201633Urgent or Emergency Care
Tennova Healthcare- McNairy RegionalTennessee7NeitherMDH201626None
Memorial Hospital & Physician GroupOklahoma7.1NeitherSCH201637Outpatient/Primary Care/Rural Health Clinic
SoutheastHEALTH Center of Reynolds CountyMissouri2NeitherCAH201621None
New Horizons Medical CenterKentucky10.2NeitherCAH201625Outpatient/Primary Care/Rural Health Clinic
Southern Palmetto HospitalSouth Carolina7.1NeitherSCH201630None
St. Mary's HospitalIllinois4MicroPPS201694Urgent or Emergency Care
Albany Area HospitalMinnesota2MetroCAH201517None
Pioneer Community Hospital of NewtonMississippi7NeitherCAH201521None
Merit Health Natchez-Community CampusMississippi4MicroPPS2015101None
Southern Maine Health Care- Sanford Medical CenterMaine4.1MetroPPS201546Urgent or Emergency Care
Novant Health Franklin Medical CenterNorth Carolina7MetroPPS201570Urgent or Emergency Care
Mercy Hospital IndependenceKansas7.2MicroPPS201541Outpatient/Primary Care/Rural Health Clinic
Nye Regional Medical CenterNevada5MicroSCH201510None
Parkland Health Center- Weber RdMissouri4.1MicroRRC201598None
Cochise Regional HospitalArizona4MetroCAH201525None
United Regional Medical CenterTennessee4MicroPPS201553None
Parkview Adventist Medical CenterMaine4.1MetroPPS201555Urgent or Emergency Care
Hunt Regional Community Hospital of CommerceTexas7.2MetroCAH201524None
Yadkin Valley Community HospitalNorth Carolina2MetroCAH201515None
Marlboro Park HospitalSouth Carolina4MicroPPS201594None
Parkridge West HospitalTennessee7.1MetroPPS201550Urgent or Emergency Care
Parkway Regional HospitalKentucky7.2MicroPPS201548None
Kilmichael HospitalMississippi8NeitherMDH201519Outpatient/Primary Care/Rural Health Clinic
East Texas Medical Center- Mount VernonTexas9NeitherMDH201449Outpatient/Primary Care/Rural Health Clinic
East Texas Medical Center- ClarksvilleTexas7.2NeitherMDH201430None
East Texas Medical Center- GilmerTexas7.1MetroPPS201437None
Doctors Hospital of NelsonvilleOhio7.2MicroCAH201425Urgent or Emergency Care
Sac-Osage HospitalMissouri9NeitherSCH201447None
Lower Oconee Community HospitalGeorgia10.2NeitherCAH201425None
Tilden Community HospitalNebraska10.2NeitherCAH201420Outpatient/Primary Care/Rural Health Clinic
Vidant Pungo HospitalNorth Carolina10.2MicroCAH201425None
Mid-Valley HospitalPennsylvania1MetroCAH201425Urgent or Emergency Care
Nicholas County HospitalKentucky10.2NeitherCAH201416None
Good Shepherd Medical CenterTexas10.1NeitherCAH201425None
North Adams Regional HospitalMassachusetts4.1MetroMDH 201498Urgent or Emergency Care
Lake Whitney Medical CenterTexas10.1NeitherMDH201449None
Gibson General HospitalTennessee7NeitherMDH201441Urgent or Emergency Care
Humboldt General HospitalTennessee7.1NeitherPPS201442Outpatient Services
Florala Memorial HospitalAlabama3NeitherPPS201322Outpatient/Primary Care/Rural Health Clinic
Starr Regional Medical Center-EtowahTennessee7.2MicroMDH201360Urgent or Emergency Care
Wise Regional Health System-BridgeportTexas7MetroPPS201335Urgent or Emergency Care
St. Andrews HospitalMaine10NeitherCAH201325Urgent or Emergency Care
Blowing Rock HospitalNorth Carolina10.1MicroCAH201325Nursing or Rehabilitation Facility
Charlton Memorial HospitalGeorgia2NeitherCAH201315None
Patient’s Choice Medical Center of Humphreys CountyMississippi7.2NeitherCAH201325None
Shelby Regional Medical CenterTexas7.2NeitherPPS201354None
Corcoran District HospitalCalifornia4.1MetroPPS201332Outpatient/Primary Care/Rural Health Clinic
Calhoun Mem HospitalGeorgia2NeitherCAH201325Outpatient/Primary Care/Rural Health Clinic
Stewart-Webster HospitalGeorgia10.1NeitherCAH201325None
Elba General HospitalAlabama10.2MicroMDH201320Nursing or Rehabilitation Facility
Renaissance Hospital TerrellTexas4.1MetroPPS2013106None
Chilton Medical CenterAlabama7.1MetroPPS201227None
Riverview Regional Medical Center SouthTennessee5MetroCAH201225Nursing or Rehabilitation Facility
Muskogee Community HospitalOklahoma4MicroPPS201245Outpatient/Primary Care/Rural Health Clinic
Florence Community HealthcareArizona4.1MetroCAH201225Outpatient/Primary Care/Rural Health Clinic
Hart County HospitalGeorgia7NeitherMDH201282None
Cheboygan Memorial HospitalMichigan7NeitherCAH201225Urgent or Emergency Care
Saint Catherine Medical Center Fountain SpringsPennsylvania7.2MicroPPS201253None
Bamberg County Memorial HospitalSouth Carolina7.2NeitherPPS201259None
Physicians Choice Hospital-FremontOhio4MicroPPS20128Outpatient/Primary Care/Rural Health Clinic
Hualapai Mountain Medical CenterArizona4MetroPPS201170Nursing or Rehabilitation Facility
SouthWest Alabama Medical CenterAlabama7.1NeitherPPS201127None
Central Kansas Medical CenterKansas4MicroRe-based SCH201141Outpatient/Primary Care/Rural Health Clinic
Randolph Medical CenterAlabama7.2NeitherCAH201112None
Franciscan Skemp Medical CenterWisconsin7NeitherCAH201125Outpatient/Primary Care/Rural Health Clinic
Lakeside Medical CenterMinnesota7.1NeitherPPS201010None
Holy Infant HospitalSouth Dakota10NeitherRe-based SCH201022Outpatient/Primary Care/Rural Health Clinic
Kingsburg Medical CenterCalifornia4.1MetroPPS201015None
Crawley Memorial HospitalNorth Carolina5MicroMDH200960None
Pike County HospitalArkansas10NeitherMDH200932None
N M Holderman Memorial HospitalCalifornia7.1MetroPPS200920Nursing or Rehabilitation Facility
Woodland Medical CtrAlabama4MicroMDH200950None
Amsterdam Memorial HospitalNew York2MicroPPS200924Outpatient/Primary Care/Rural Health Clinic
Jenkins Community HospitalKentucky5NeitherCAH200925Outpatient/Primary Care/Rural Health Clinic
Doctors Hospital Of OpelousasLouisiana2MicroPPS2009117Nursing or Rehabilitation Facility
Richardton Health CenterNorth Dakota10MicroCAH200925Nursing or Rehabilitation Facility
Albert Lindley Lee Memorial HospitalNew York4.1MetroPPS200967Urgent or Emergency Care
Wm B Kessler Memorial HospitalNew Jersey4.1MetroPPS200983Outpatient/Primary Care/Rural Health Clinic
Trinity Community HospitalFlorida7.1NeitherPPS200842None
Dickerson Memorial HospitalTexas7NeitherPPS200824None
Richwood Area Community HospitalWest Virginia8.1NeitherCAH200825None
Indian Valley HospitalCalifornia8NeitherSCH200826None
Taylor Telfair Regional HospitalGeorgia7NeitherCAH200825None
Deer Park HospitalWashington2MetroCAH200825None
Owyhee Community Health FacilityNevada10MicroCAH200715Outpatient/Primary Care/Rural Health Clinic
Five Counties Hospital - Critical Access HospitalSouth Dakota10NeitherCAH20074Nursing or Rehabilitation Facility
Pawnee Municipal HospitalOklahoma10MetroPPS200725None
Ft Yuma PHS Indian HospArizona1MetroCAH200715None
Tuolumne General HospCalifornia4MicroPPS200780None
St Lukes HospitalWest Virginia4MicroMDH200779Outpatient/Primary Care/Rural Health Clinic
Divine Providence Health CenterMinnesota10NeitherCAH200718Nursing or Rehabilitation Facility
Frye Regional Medical Center Alexander CampusNorth Carolina2MetroCAH200723None
St Joseph's Hospital of HuntingburgIndiana5MicroCAH200725None
USPHS Clinton Indian HospitalOklahoma7MicroIHS200711Outpatient/Primary Care/Rural Health Clinic
PHS Indian Hospital at SissetonSouth Dakota10NeitherIHS200618Nursing or Rehabilitation Facility
Guyan Valley HospitalWest Virginia2MicroCAH20068None
Leelanau Memorial Health CenterMichigan10MicroCAH200623Urgent or Emergency Care
Mission Family Health Center (Yancey Community Medical Ctr)North Carolina2NeitherCAH20066None
Cedar Vale Community HospitalKansas10NeitherCAH200625None
Chowchilla District Mem HospitalCalifornia4MetroPPS200624Nursing or Rehabilitation Facility
Dos Palos Memorial HospitalCalifornia7.2MetroPPS200617Nursing or Rehabilitation Facility
Philipsburg Area HospitalPennsylvania2MetroCAH200625None
Good Hope HospitalNorth Carolina4.3MicroPPS200643Outpatient/Primary Care/Rural Health Clinic
Cornerstone Healthcare of IllinoisIllinois7NeitherCAH200525Nursing or Rehabilitation Facility
Gadsden Community HospitalFlorida2MetroCAH200525Urgent or Emergency Care
Newport Hosp And ClinicArkansas7NeitherPPS200586None
Fayette Memorial HospitalTexas7NeitherPPS200524None
Deleon HospitalTexas10NeitherCAH200514None
Minnewaska District HospMinnesota10NeitherCAH200519None
Kings Daughters Hospital-GreenvilleMississippi4MicroPPS200599Nursing or Rehabilitation Facility
Gulf Pines HospitalFlorida7.1MetroPPS200545None

Do you know of a hospital that closed within the past 10 years that is not on our list? Do you know of a hospital that is on the brink of closure? Please complete an inquiry below or email your information and tips to us here: ncrural@unc.edu

What is a rural hospital?

A rural hospital is any short-term, general acute, non-federal hospital that is a. not located in a metropolitan county OR b. is located in a RUCA type 4 or higher OR c. is a Critical Access Hospital.

 

What is a closed hospital?

We follow the convention of the Office of Inspector General that a closed hospital is “A facility that stopped providing general, short-term, acute inpatient care [….] We did not consider a hospital closed if it: Merged with, or was sold to, another hospital but the physical plant continued to provide inpatient acute care, Converted to critical access status, or Both closed and reopened during the same calendar year and at the same physical location.”

A facility that no longer provides health services is considered a “complete hospital closure.” Note that a facility that closed its inpatient unit but continued to provide other health services, like emergency, rehabilitation, and/or outpatient services, at the same physical location would be considered a “converted hospital closure”. Likewise, a facility that dramatically scaled back its inpatient services (e.g. from 70 beds to 2) would be considered “open” because it continues to provide inpatient services (albeit in a vastly reduced manner).

 

In some instances, a hospital closes but reopens in another location. In these circumstances, we use our best judgment as to whether access to inpatient services in the rural community was considerably affected by the move to the new location. A move across town or outside city limits would generally not be considered a “closure”; reopening in a community 10-15 miles away, however, likely would.

 

How do you gather information about closures?

We collect information from various sources, including web searches, news alerts, analyses of Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services data, information exchange with the National Rural Health Association, the federal Office of Rural Health Policy, and from submission by the public.

 

How do you track closures?
Once we have identified rural hospitals at risk, we monitor them to gather information on why and when the will closure occur. We also monitor these facilities even after the closure occurred. Closed hospitals can re-open.
A “closed but re-opened” hospital will appear on lists and maps produced for the public. These closures are usually identified by the assumption that there is no intent or action plan to re-open as a hospital at the time of closure. This closure would have previously been included in our count of closed rural hospitals at one point in the past.

 

Are rural hospital closures a new phenomenon?

No. Policymakers began paying attention in the late 1980s. The Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services conducted a report in 1989 examining closures in 1987; because there was so much interest, the report was repeated on an annual basis for a few years. As the rate slowed in the late 1990s and early 2000s, interest waned until recently.

 

Why have closures increased lately? Is it the effect of ___(policy)___?

Closures have been ticking up since the recession of 2008-2009. There are likely multiple contributing factors, including failure to recover from the recession, population demographic trends, market trends (e.g. increased rates of merger and affiliation), decreased demand for inpatient services, and new models of care (e.g. Accountable Care Organizations). Long-standing trends – such as generally poorer financial performance in the South – may contribute to closure rates. Some observers have noted the potential effect of the Affordable Care Act (“Obamacare”) and/or the correlation with a state’s decision of whether to expand Medicaid.

For more information see: Additional Research on Rural Hospital Closures

 

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