Critical Access Hospital, what is it? and do we need one?
A Critical Access Hospitals (CAH) are small, rural hospitals to ensure essential healthcare access, focusing on emergency and acute care with limited beds (max 25), short stays (avg. 96 hrs or less). CAHs must be rural, often >35 miles from another hospital, offer 24/7 emergency services, and provide core acute care, referring complex cases to larger facilities.
Access to care close to home
- Provides 24/7 emergency services without long travel times
- Offers basic inpatient, outpatient, lab, imaging, and primary care services
- Especially critical during trauma, heart attacks, strokes, and childbirth
Faster Emergency Response
Shorter transport times to receive the life saving care you need in a time of emergency. Qualified emergency room providers on site 24/7.
Brings services locally
- On-site laboratory testing, no more waiting days for your lab results.
- Get your ultrasounds, X-rays, CT, and MRI completed locally, and other testing that would require travel to a hospital.
- On-site pharmacy that is open to the public.
Keep Providers in the Community
- Attract and retain doctors, Physician Assistants, Nurse practitioners , and nurses.
- Provide a new family medicine office and traveling specialists
- Reduce provider shortages in rural areas.
Economic Stablity
- One of the largest employers in rural communities.
- Provides stable, well-paying jobs with benefits.
- Keeps circulating dollars in our community.
- Bring new business to the area.
Supports aging and vulnerable populations
- Improvess access to elderly, low-income, and disabled people.
- Reduces travel burdon for frequent care and chronic disease management.
- Can bring swing beds (short term hospitalizations), rehab, skilled nursing management, hospice, wound care, and more.
Strengthens the community overall
- Make the area more attractive for families, retirees, and businesses.
- Increased community confidence and resilience.
- Key player in natural diseasters, pandemic, and public health emergencies.
How are critical access hospitals funded?
- CAHs are reimbursed by Medicare at about 101% of the cost of providing care .
- Medicaid helps pay for care for low-income families, children, seniors, and people with disabilities
- Payments from employer plans or individual insurance
- Federal and State grants; not guarenteed funding.
- Community support through: taxes (mil levi), donations, foundations, fundraisers, and volunteer efforts.