Trading inpatient care for more federal money works for some, not all rural Arkansas hospitals

Trading inpatient care for more federal money works for some, not all rural Arkansas hospitals

The Southwest Arkansas Regional Medical Center in Hope, Arkansas on Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025. (Photo by Tess Vrbin/Arkansas Advocate)Two years ago, Brian Miller said he was still unsure whether to sign up the rural Arkansas hospital he runs for a federal program that promised more financial stability. DeWitt Hospital and Nursing Home is now a rural emergency hospital, which draws more federal funds to rural hospitals if they reduce or eliminate …