Critical Access Hospitals

CAHs are rural hospitals that have converted to a special designation through the federal policy, Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Grant. This designation encourages hospitals to focus on acute care by limiting the number of beds to 25 and patient length of stay to 96 hours. CAHs must have agreements with larger hospitals for purposes of patient referrals and transfers. This promotes a local system of care that improves access to rural, underserved communities. Because of their presence, and availability of emergency services, CAHs are often considered “safety net” providers for rural communities. CAH designation is not the panacea for all rural hospitals, however, but it has kept many small rural hospitals financially viable when they otherwise might have closed. Larry Dozier is the Chief Executive Officer of Fairfield Memorial Hospital in Winnsboro. His organization will serve as the representative for this segment.