EXCERPT: “One-in-five U.S. rural hospitals are at a high risk of closing unless their financial situation improves, according to a new Navigant (NYSE: NCI) analysis of publicly available data. The study also shows that 64% of these at-risk rural hospitals are considered essential to the health and economic well-being of their communities. The analysis, which examines the financial viability and community essentiality of more than 2,000 rural hospitals nationwide, suggests 21% are at high risk of closing based on their total operating margin, days cash on hand, and debt-to-capitalization ratio. This equates to 430 hospitals across 43 states that employ 150,000 people . . . Southern and Midwestern states, including Mississippi, Alabama, Kansas, Georgia, and Minnesota, are projected to be impacted the most, the data shows.” FULLSTORY: http://bit.ly/2SgRThA
