A recent study finds persistent gaps in staffing, services, and health outcomes, with no consistent improvements associated with hospital consolidation
Rural hospitals continue to face significant workforce, service, and access challenges, while mergers, acquisitions, and health system affiliations were not associated with consistent improvements across key hospital measures, according to new research released by the Center for Rural Pennsylvania.
The report, Rural Hospitals in Pennsylvania in the Context of Healthcare Market Consolidations, was conducted by researchers at The Pennsylvania State University and examines general acute care hospitals across the Commonwealth from 2016 through 2023. Researchers combined statewide hospital data with interviews and virtual site visits to examine rural hospital utilization, service availability, quality, financial performance, and changes in hospital ownership.
The study found that rural hospitals generally operate with fewer physicians and registered nurses, lower patient volumes and occupancy rates, and fewer specialized services than urban hospitals. One of the most pronounced differences involved neonatal care: only about one in five rural hospitals provided Level II or higher neonatal intensive care, compared with approximately one-half of urban hospitals.
Across four major clinical conditions, rural hospitals also had higher mortality rates but lower 30-day readmission rates than urban hospitals, raising questions about how commonly used quality measures should be interpreted in rural settings.
The full report, Rural Hospitals in Pennsylvania in the Context of Healthcare Market Consolidations, is available at www.rural.pa.gov/publications/research-reports.
The Center for Rural Pennsylvania is a bipartisan, bicameral legislative agency of the Pennsylvania General Assembly. Created in 1987 under the Rural Revitalization Act, the Center serves as a resource for rural policy within the General Assembly and works to promote and sustain the vitality of Pennsylvania’s rural and small communities.