About 60 million people — nearly 1 in 5 Americans — live in rural areas and depend on their local hospitals for care. More than 70 of those hospitals have ended all services since 2011, according to the Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research.
The number of rural hospital closures steadily increased over a four-year period, with a record-breaking 20 hospitals shutting down last year, according to the Sheps Center. Though rural hospitals continue to face many challenges, including low patient volume, heavy reliance on government payers and financial pressure tied to the COVID-19 pandemic, federal aid helped partially offset those challenges this year. Only two rural hospitals have ceased inpatient care so far this year, according to the Sheps Center.
Many of the hospitals that shut down over the past decade still provide some healthcare services, such as urgent care, primary care or long-term care. Listed below are the 73 rural hospitals that have completely closed since Jan. 1, 2011, as tracked by the Sheps Center.
Alabama
SouthWest Alabama Medical Center (Thomasville)
Randolph Medical Center (Roanoke)
Chilton Medical Center (Clanton)
Georgiana Medical Center
Arizona
Florence Community Healthcare
Cochise Regional Hospital (Douglas)
Arkansas
De Queen Medical Center
California
Adventist Health Feather River (Paradise)
Coalinga Regional Medical Center
Florida
Campbellton-Graceville Hospital
Regional General Hospital (Williston)
Shands Lake Shore Regional Medical Center (Lake City)
Georgia
Hart County Hospital (Harwell)
Charlton Memorial Hospital (Folkston)
Stewart-Webster Hospital (Richland)
Lower Oconee Community Hospital (Glenwood)
Southwest Georgia Regional Medical Center (Cuthbert)
Kansas
Horton Community Hospital
Oswego Community Hospital
Sumner Community Hospital (Wellington)
Kentucky
Nicholas County Hospital (Carlisle)
Parkway Regional Hospital (Fulton)
Louisiana
Doctor's Hospital at Deer Creek (Leesville)
Minnesota
Albany Area Hospital
Mississippi
Patient's Choice Medical of Humphreys County (Belzoni)
Pioneer Community Hospital of Newton
Merit Health Natchez-Community Campus
Missouri
Sac-Osage Hospital (Osceola)
Parkland Health Center-Weber Road (Farmington)
Southeast Health Center of Reynolds County (Ellington)
Twin Rivers Regional Medical Center (Kennett)
I-70 Community Hospital (Sweet Springs)
Pinnacle Regional Hospital (Boonville)
Nevada
Nye Regional Medical Center (Tonopah)
North Carolina
Vidant Pungo Hospital (Belhaven)
Yadkin Valley Community Hospital (Yadkinville)
Sandhills Regional Medical Center (Hamlet)
Davie Medical Center-Mocksville
Oklahoma
Latimer County General Hospital (Wilburton)
Sayre Community Hospital
Pennsylvania
Saint Catherine Medical Center Fountain Springs (Ashland)
Ellwood City Medical Center
South Carolina
Bamberg County Memorial Hospital
Marlboro Park Hospital (Bennettsville)
Southern Palmetto Hospital (Barnwell)
Fairfield Memorial Hospital (Winnsboro)
Tennessee
Haywood Park Community Hospital (Brownsville)
United Regional Medical Center (Manchester)
Tennova Healthcare-McNairy Regional (Selmer)
Copper Basin Medical Center (Copperhill)
McKenzie Regional Hospital
Jamestown Regional Medical Center
Jellico Medical Center
Perry Community Hospital (Linden)
Cumberland River Hospital (Celina)
Decatur County General Hospital (Parsons)
Texas
Shelby Regional Medical Center
Renaissance Hospital Terrell
East Texas Medical Center-Clarksville
East Texas Medical Center-Gilmer
East Texas Medical Center-Trinity
Good Shepherd Medical Center (Linden)
Lake Whitney Medical Center (Whitney)
Hunt Regional Community Hospital of Commerce
Gulf Coast Medical Center (Wharton)
Nix Community General Hospital (Dilley)
Weimar Medical Center
Care Regional Medical Center (Aransas Pass)
Little River Healthcare Rockdale Hospital
Little River Healthcare Cameron Hospital
Central Hospital of Bowie
Virginia
Pioneer Community Hospital of Patrick County (Stuart)
West Virginia
Williamson Memorial Hospital