Rural Health
Research Gateway

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)