Researchers at the healthcare analytics firm Chartis Group said 12 of Alabama’s 45 rural hospitals are “most vulnerable” to closure based on several factors – including revenue, system affiliation and the lack of Medicaid expansion.
The report identified more than 450 rural hospitals nationwide as vulnerable to closure, with 216 of those designated as “most vulnerable.” They found the highest numbers of vulnerable hospitals in the South and Midwest. They designated 17 rural hospitals in Alabama, or nearly 40 percent of those in operation, as vulnerable.
Seven rural hospitals in Alabama have closed since 2010, according to the Chartis research, including Georgiana Medical Center in March 2019.