Rural Emergency Hospitals (REHs)

Current Projects

• Did Hospitals That Converted to Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) Avoid Closure?
  The goal of the Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) is to preserve access to essential services for rural residents, and to decrease the likelihood of hospital closures; some worry that the REH offers an option for otherwise financially strong hospitals to shed services. This study will investigate whether hospitals that converted to an REH in 2023 and 2024 would have likely closed in the absence of the REH designation.
  Research center: North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
  Topics: Healthcare access, Healthcare financing, Hospitals and clinics, Medicare, Rural Emergency Hospitals (REHs)
  
• The Early Experience of Rural Emergency Hospitals
  Since 2021, North Carolina Rural Health Research Program research has tracked Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) conversions, finding that REHs often serve disadvantaged communities and frequently faced high financial distress pre-conversion. This study compares REH converters with eligible non-converters and estimates the effect of REH conversion on hospital profitability.
  Research center: North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
  Topics: Healthcare access, Hospitals and clinics, Medicare, Rural Emergency Hospitals (REHs)