4 Success Stories of Rural Hospitals Solving Modern Challenges

Rural Hospital in Beatrice, Nebraska Specializes in Healthcare for Older Adults

Rural areas of America tend to have older populations than urban areas. This increases challenges for rural hospitals.It’s hard enough running a small, rural hospital. These challenges increase with older populations who have larger, more complicated healthcare needs – and who also tend to be Medicare patients.Despite these challenges, a small hospital in Beatrice, Nebraska is thriving by implementing a seemingly obvious solution: they’ve invested in aging healthcare, allowing them to specialize in the specific areas where older e https://www.michaeljemery.com/  https://www.cmhmountaineering.com/adults need them most.The average age in Beatrice, Nebraska is 6 years older than the average age in Nebraska. It’s an older, rural town with a population of 12,200 people.To address these challenges, the Beatrice Community Hospital and Health Center (BCHHC) has implemented a range of solutions. BCHHC has continued to grow, opening a new building while doubling patient numbers since 2009.What did BCCHC do differently? The hospital made significant investments in treating and serving the area’s aging residents. As the town’s population gets increasingly older, several nursing homes have opened in town, with BCCHC being the primary medical hub for these residents.Today, BCHHC is the second largest employer in Beatrice. It has a 25-bed hospital employing 512 people with a payroll of $28 million. The hospital earned $100 million in revenue last year – even as other businesses are leaving Beatrice en masse.Because of their foresight, the Beatrice Community Hospital and Health Center continues to thrive amid uncertain times for small, rural hospitals.

 

Small Hospital Thrives in 6,500 Person Town in Indiana

Similar to the BCHHC success story, Margaret Mary Community Hospital has succeeded in Batesville, Indiana by specializing in caring for older adults.Batesville, Indiana is home to 6,500 people. To address their needs, Margaret Mary Community Hospital has built a rheumatology program specifically catered to the town’s aging population.Like Beatrice, Batesville has an older than average population. By focusing on what they do well, and addressing the town’s healthcare needs, Margaret Mary Community Hospital has achieved success.All of this healthcare investment attracts older retirees to the area. Residents can buy a three-bedroom home in Beatrice for around $70,000. With good healthcare and a low cost of living, Batesville’s future – and the future of Margaret Mary Community Hospital – looks bright.

Childress, Texas Hospital Grows in One of America’s Toughest Markets

Texas has been hit particularly hard by the rural health crisis in the United States. Small hospitals across the state have closed over the past two decades.Despite these challenges, the hospital in Childress, Texas remains a success story. The 39-bed non-profit Childress Regional Medical Center is one of he few Texas hospitals operating profitably in these times.What has Childress Regional Medical Center d