Rural Health in Crisis: The Race to Save Access

Rural hospitals and health systems are at a breaking point, as workforce shortages, rising costs, and declining margins fuel closures and growing healthcare deserts across the country. Facilities that disproportionately serve older adults, low-income patients, and medically underserved populations are especially vulnerable to Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement cuts, which threaten the financial viability of essential community providers. As funding tightens, access to emergency care, maternal health, behavioral health, and preventive services continues to erode in rural communities. This panel will examine what is at stake, and the policies, care delivery, and innovation strategies needed to stabilize rural healthcare before more communities lose their only source of care.