Independent rural hospitals are increasingly joining what are called clinically integrated networks, collaborative groups that allow them to avoid selling out to larger health systems while sharing resources to save money and improve patient care. Many are motivated by the chance to combine their patient rolls for value-based care contracts, a growing reimbursement model in which insurers pay providers based on the quality of care they provide and the health outcomes of their patients. For independent, rural hospitals, the networks are an alternative to shutting down or reducing services, or to giving up local autonomy and joining a large hospital system.
Read the full article: How Rural Hospitals Are Banding Together to Survive //
Source: https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2025/09/02/nx-s1-5519257/rural-hospitals-independent-health-networks