The First Year of Rural Emergency Hospitals: REHs Serve Relatively Disadvantaged Counties

Among key findings in this brief from the North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center:

  • Various hospital types converted to REHs in 2023: seven were Sole Community Hospitals, six were Critical Access Hospitals, four were Prospective Payment System hospitals, and two were Medicare Dependent Hospitals.
  • Counties with REH conversions were relatively challenged, showing highest median rates of poverty, uninsured individuals, and people in poor or fair health.
  • Counties with a REH conversion also faced health care access challenges, with fewer primary care and mental health providers and higher emergency department visit rates among Medicare beneficiaries.