With case numbers rising all across the country at unprecedented rates, the United States has emerged as the country with the most confirmed COVID-19 cases in the world.
As the threat of the worldwide pandemic continues to loom and a cure seems to be nowhere in sight, the U.S. is now facing a healthcare challenge that may see a dramatic development in its fight against the Coronavirus: fears of rural hospital closures.
Why rural hospitals are more essential than ever and why they can’t keep up
Today, these establishments have taken on a much more pivotal role in the American healthcare industry because they currently represent 51,800 employees, 222,350 discharges annually, and $8.3 billion in total patient revenue. Beyond the statistics, they serve as the backbone of the country’s medical system because they provide essential medical services to local communities while sustaining their local economies.
Albeit their vitality on the local level, these same rural establishments are limited on staff and specialization and by no means are ready to handle the complexities of COVID-19 cases. Additionally, the restricted nature of rural hospitals also prevents them from keeping up with technological trends, forcing patients to seek help that they can’t have due to enforced quarantine procedures.
The hurdle in numbers
Due to all the developments that are taking place at the moment, the current status and ability of rural hospitals to survive are uncertain, and a Guidehouse report has confirmed this.
According to Guidehouse’s Rural Hospital Sustainability Index for the first quarter of 2020, 25% of establishments all across the country were at a greater risk of closing if their financial situations would not improve – a four percent increase from last year.
Given the financial strains posed by the coronavirus and a sudden halting of the economy, the threat of closure is magnified because of cash flow disruptions in the industry. Currently, rural hospitals in the country are worst affected by the crisis as the case numbers continue to pile up despite the fact that various establishments are holding on to their last few beds and rooms.
Based on the findings of Guidehouse’s index, 40 states possessed at least one establishment that was at greater financial risk of closure within the near future. This figure, however, is expected to surge as the cases of COVID-19 continue to rise on a daily basis.
In the face of the crisis, hospitals no longer have room to deal with their internal struggles, which will put them on the brink of bankruptcy and closure if they are not tended to sooner or later. The report also states that rural establishments are experiencing greater levels of volatility in several financial problems, all of which must be solved with time, money, and effort that hospitals clearly cannot shell out right now.
Conclusion
Rural hospitals across the U.S. are now in the midst of a modern healthcare industry crisis without any sign of easy relief or an effective solution. With the current state, only so much can be said about the future of essential health establishments in localities until more reports come in.
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