FierceHealthcare reports:

“The number of U.S. rural hospitals that shut their doors reached a record-setting 19 last year, according to a new report that aims to pinpoint why hospitals are closing.

“The Chartis Center for Rural Health and iVantage Health Analytics released a report (PDF) … that found 120 rural facilities have shut their doors since 2010. The study also explored indicators that can lead to a rural hospital’s demise.

“’The accelerated rate at which rural hospitals are closing continues to unsettle the rural healthcare community and demands a more nuanced investigation into rural hospital performance,’ the study said.”

“The report identified nine indicators to measure whether a hospital is ripe for closure. Some of the indicators include occupancy rates, age of the facility, system affiliation, total revenue and case mix index, which is the ability to handle a broad mix of services.”

“Another key indicator is whether the state expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act.”

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