13 rural hospitals in the Commonwealth at risk of closure, report finds<\/a><\/p>\nBath Community Hospital released the following statement:<\/p>\n
Recent media reports have highlighted concerns regarding the financial challenges facing rural hospitals across Virginia and the nation. While these reports underscore the very real pressures confronting rural healthcare, Bath Community Hospital wants to reassure our patients, employees, providers, volunteers, donors, and community members that the hospital remains stable, operationally strong, and committed to serving the region for generations to come.<\/p>\n
Like healthcare organizations across the country, Bath Community Hospital continually monitors changes in reimbursement, workforce availability, regulatory requirements, and federal and state healthcare policy. These challenges require thoughtful planning and responsible stewardship, and the hospital\u2019s leadership team and Board of Directors remain actively engaged in ensuring the organization\u2019s long-term success.<\/p>\n
While national reports often evaluate hospitals using broad financial indicators, they do not capture the unique strengths, community support, strategic planning, and local resources that contribute to the long-term sustainability of organizations such as Bath Community Hospital.<\/p>\n
Over the past year, Bath Community Hospital has continued to invest in strategic initiatives designed to strengthen the organization and improve access to care. These efforts include workforce development, operational improvements, revenue cycle enhancements, technology investments, and ongoing efforts to recruit and retain high-quality healthcare professionals. The hospital remains focused on delivering exceptional care close to home while maintaining financial discipline and operational excellence.<\/p>\n
Bath Community Hospital also benefits from a longstanding partnership with the Lettie Pate Evans Foundation, which has provided meaningful support to the hospital over many years. The Foundation has been an important partner in strengthening healthcare access in our community and has expressed its continued commitment to supporting the hospital\u2019s mission. This enduring relationship provides an additional source of stability as the hospital continues investing in the services, people, and infrastructure needed to meet the healthcare needs of our region.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur community deserves confidence in the future of its hospital,\u201d said Jane Russell, President and Chief Executive Officer of Bath Community Hospital. \u201cHealthcare is changing rapidly across the country, and rural hospitals face unique challenges. At Bath Community Hospital, we are actively planning for those challenges, strengthening our operations, and positioning the organization for long-term success. We are supported by an engaged Board of Directors, a dedicated workforce, strong community partnerships, and the longstanding support of the Lettie Pate Evans Foundation. Together, these strengths help ensure that Bath Community Hospital remains a trusted healthcare resource for the communities we serve. \u201cRussell added, \u201cWe are not here simply to survive. We are here to build a strong, sustainable hospital that serves this community for generations. Every decision we make is guided by our commitment to providing high-quality care close to home and ensuring that future generations have access to the healthcare services they need.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bath Community Hospital remains committed to transparency, accountability, and open communication with the community. The hospital\u2019s leadership and Board will continue to monitor changes in the healthcare environment while taking proactive steps to strengthen the organization and preserve local access to care.<\/p>\n
The future of rural healthcare will continue to present challenges, but Bath Community Hospital is well-positioned to meet those challenges and continue fulfilling its mission of caring for the communities it serves.<\/p>\n
Carilion Giles Community Hospital released the following statement from their Executive Vice President and CFO Don Halliwell:<\/p>\n
Rural and safety net hospitals across the country continue to face significant financial pressures driven by multiple factors, including workforce shortages, inflation, reimbursement challenges, a declining and aging rural population, and changing care needs. It\u2019s proof this issue isn\u2019t unique to Virginia \u2013 it\u2019s a national concern.<\/p>\n
Like all nonprofit health care organizations, we\u2019re accustomed to working with tight operating margins in caring for patients in local communities. We continually evaluate how to strengthen our services and improve efficiency, while remaining focused on our mission to provide high-quality care close to home.<\/p>\n
We\u2019re closely monitoring H.R. 1, and it is premature to speculate on its potential implementation impacts.<\/p>\n
The state taking action to strengthen Medicaid is vital to protect access to healthcare, support local economies, and sustain rural and safety net hospitals that serve as major employers and essential community infrastructure.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s also essential for health systems, policymakers, employers, insurers, and communities to continue having candid conversations and collaborating so we can maintain access to care in rural areas. We all have to stay actively engaged.<\/p>\n
SEE ALSO: Mae’s Haven hosts first annual fundraiser to support healing through horses<\/a><\/p>\nHCA LewisGale Hospital Pulaski Spokesperson Teresa Hall released the following statement:<\/p>\n
\u201cLewisGale Hospital Pulaski is aware of the recent report and has reviewed its findings. We want to reassure our patients, colleagues and community that LewisGale Hospital Pulaski is not closing. We are operationally sound, remain open and focused on caring for the patients and families who depend on us.<\/p>\n
The report appears to rely heavily on publicly available financial data. As part of a larger health system, LewisGale Hospital Pulaski does not publicly report individual hospital financial performance in the same way some independent hospitals may. As a result, the report may not fully reflect our hospital\u2019s position as part of a larger healthcare network.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sentara Halifax Regional Hospital Spokesperson Mike Kafka told us that they are building a new hospital and are not closing. Below is their statement:<\/p>\n
Ensuring access to quality care for the communities we serve remains our highest priority. We will continue to serve the communities who rely on us, advocate for those without a voice, and work alongside state and federal leaders, nonprofit partners, and fellow health systems to navigate the road ahead. There are no plans to close Sentara Halifax Regional Hospital. In fact, in January Sentara Halifax Regional Hospital marked a major milestone in the construction of its new hospital with a traditional topping off ceremony celebrating the placement of the final steel beam atop the new structure which is being built to meet the needs of the community for decades to come.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"(WSET) \u2014 After the Virginia Joint Commission on Health Care released a report stating that 13 rural hospitals…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":690685,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[59],"tags":[97,252,253],"class_list":["post-692104","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-health-care","tag-health","tag-health-care","tag-healthcare"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/692104","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=692104"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/692104\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/690685"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=692104"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=692104"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=692104"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/c81383e5-70c8-4860-9aaa-e0e9c202e444-Screenshot20260608112806.png\"\/)
<\/p>\n