Today, the Federation of American Hospitals (FAH) kicks off Rural Hospital Week to celebrate and honor the unique and essential role rural hospitals play in communities across the country. FAH will be celebrating rural hospitals from November 18 to 22, which includes National Rural Health Day on November 21.

FAH President and CEO Chip Kahn released the following statement celebrating Rural Hospital Week:

“Rural hospitals – often the only comprehensive care providers in their communities – serve as lifelines for patients, providing 24/7 care for over 60 million rural Americans. During Rural Hospital Week, we celebrate the dedication of rural hospitals and their incredible workforce, who tirelessly provide care to their neighbors. 

Yet, rural hospitals have the decks stacked against them. The combination of threats, including Medicare underpayment, managed care plans’ persistent delays and denials of patient care, and unique workforce challenges, are pushing rural hospitals to the financial brink, making it all the more important to permanently extend the Low-Volume Hospital (LVH) and Medicare-dependent Hospital (MDH) Programs, which help keep hospitals’ lights on and are set to expire at the end of this year. FAH will continue fighting for policies that help rural hospitals succeed and ensure all patients – no matter where they live – have access to comprehensive care 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.”

For more information on Rural Hospital Week and FAH’s efforts supporting rural hospitals please visit fah.org/rural.

To join us as we celebrate rural hospitals and the communities they serve, follow #RuralHospitalWeek and #NationalRuralHospitalDay.

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