The federal government has sent nearly $25 million to 132 small rural hospitals in 13 states, money meant to help keep physicians, nurses, and other clinicians on the job at facilities that are often a community's main source of emergency and inpatient care. The Department of Health and Human Services announced the awards on Sept. 10 through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).
The recipient list also leaves a gap that has drawn little attention. In April, HRSA's preliminary analysis identified 167 hospitals that appeared to meet the program's rules. Thirty-six of those hospitals do not appear among the final recipients, and HRSA has not publicly explained why.
