Loss of rural hospital capacity accelerates after brief respite

The trillions in federal aid that Congress appropriated during the COVID-19 pandemic seemed to stem the bleeding — the rate of rural hospital beds lost in 2021 and 2022 was the lowest in a decade. This year, though, saw 218 beds lost by mid-April — an annualized rate of 717, which would be the second biggest contraction of healthcare capacity since 2005.

Rural hospital beds lost through facility closures and conversions, by year