Healthcare Inequality, Again

A new report summarizes the closing of 102 rural hospitals since 2010. Texas lost 17, Tennessee lost 10 and Georgia lost 7. Most of the closing were in the US South.

Sources: CDC

Now, it is probably likely that these hospitals were struggling, and were unable to provide the best quality care to the residents of the areas they served.

However, if you are having a heart attack or stroke, being more than 10 minutes from an emergency facility can be catastrophic. And while diet and obesity may be factors, the South isn’t where you want to see hospitals closing. The region defined by Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana appears to be the epicenter for heart problems in the US.

The lesson seems to be: live in rural or America (or the southern US) at your own risk.

Sources: https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/finance/state-by-state-breakdown-of-102-rural-hospital-closures.html