Ohio survey finds rural hospitals prone to layoffs

Ohio hospital layoffs are deeply affecting hospitals that serve rural areas, found a survey conducted by the Ohio Hospital Association. Of the hospitals anticipating laying off employees in the next six months, 41 percent serve primarily rural areas.

The OHA press release noted many of the concerns faced in rural communities across the nation: the lack of health care options that existed in many areas even before the economic crisis and the economic pressures that ripple through a town when a hospital -- often a major employer for a community -- starts cutting staff. (Read more)