8 Hospitals Chosen for First Cohort of Rural Hospital Stabilization Program

Eight hospitals have been selected to participate in the first cohort of the Rural Hospital Stabilization Program, a new federal initiative designed to provide in-depth technical assistance to rural hospitals.

The program, which is supported with close to $4 million in funding by the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Federal Office of Rural Health Policy and administered by the Duluth, Minn.-based National Rural Health Resource Center, will provide hospitals with assessments of financial and operational performance, recommend options for filling identified care gaps and guide them as they grow targeted services. 

A combination of education and coaching from a Center-led team of experts, along with funding to support tools and innovation towards service line growth, are designed to allow hospitals to bolster patient volume, better align services with the needs of the community and improve cash flow.

The selected hospitals  are:
• Beaver County Memorial Hospital, a 24-bed critical access hospital in Beaver, Oklahoma
• Coffeyville Regional Medical Center, a 25-bed critical access hospital in Coffeyville, Kansas
• Delta Health, a 49-bed hospital in Delta, Colorado
• Freestone Medical Center, a 37-bed hospital in Fairfield, Texas
• Jefferson Hospital, a 37-bed hospital in Louisville, Georgia 
• Klickitat Valley Health, a 25-bed critical access hospital in Goldendale, Washington
• Pike County Memorial Hospital, a 25-bed critical access hospital in Louisiana, Missouri
• W.J. Mangold Memorial Hospital, a 25-bed critical access hospital in Lockney, Texas

The goal of the program — which is expected to take hospitals 18 to 24 months to complete — is to strengthen rural healthcare delivery nationwide by improving hospital financial stability.

“We’re excited to welcome these eight hospitals into the first cohort of the new Rural Hospital Stabilization Program and to partner with them as they work to strengthen health care access in their communities,” said Tom Schumacher, the program’s director, in a statement. “At its core, the Rural Hospital Stabilization Program is all about helping strengthen hospitals so they can keep caring for the communities that rely on them. When hospitals are financially stable, they’re better equipped to expand services, attract and retain staff, and respond to local health needs. We’re proud to support these hospitals as they build a more secure foundation — not just for their own future, but for the health and well-being of the communities they serve.”