Coronavirus threatens survival of rural hospitals across the U.S. on the frontlines of crisis
On Wednesday, Three Rivers, a small hospital in rural Washington, had exactly nine days left before it would run out of money to pay its staff and be forced to close. That same day, its CEO learned the hospital likely had its first coronavirus patient.
The coronavirus pandemic has put a strain even on the wealthier parts of America’s vast, fragmented healthcare system: there are not enough beds, not enough ventilators, not enough protective equipment. But in rural communities, the stakes are different: not whether there will be enough beds at the local hospital, but whether the local hospital will be able to stay open at all.
Like many American families, rural hospitals in the United States have been operating paycheck to paycheck for years, never making enough money to save up for an emergency. Now, the pandemic is threatening the survival of many rural hospitals, which would leave communities particularly vulnerable to the impact of the virus with fewer hospital beds and fewer options. [Continue reading…]