[Opinion] Colorado’s Rural Hospitals Are Failing — and so Are Policies that Attack Our Nonprofit Status (Opinion)

Colorado’s rural hospitals are failing — and so are policies that attack our nonprofit status (Opinion)

Imagine a scenario in which someone, grievously ill or injured, goes to their local hospital, only to find the doors locked, the lights out, and a sign informing them that their nearest alternative is more than an hour away by car in one direction. This is what thousands of our neighbors experience every time a rural non-profit hospital is forced to shut its doors or close a service due to overwhelming financial pressure. Non-profit hospitals fa…

Study examines decline of obstetric services in rural and urban hospitals

A Health Affairs study on the decline of obstetric services in rural and urban hospitals nationwide from 2010-2022 found that seven states had at least 25% of their hospitals report they are no longer providing obstetric services. Additionally, by 2022, more than two-thirds of rural hospitals in eight states were without obstetric services.In five states, 25% or more of their urban hospitals no longer reported providing obstetric services by 202…