Study Finds Hospital Closures Outpacing Openings Since 2015
Researchers from Harvard's school of public health and Brigham and Women's Hospital published a study Oct. 8 in JAMA finding hospital closures rose 4% annually while openings fell 3% annually between 2015 and 2025. Of 4,962 hospitals studied, 432 closed and 216 opened, a net loss of 216 hospitals and 24,399 beds; nonprofit hospitals closed at a higher rate than for-profit ones, while urban and rural closure rates were comparable. Smaller hospitals closed most often, with 205 closures among 25-99 bed facilities compared to 119 among 100-399 bed facilities, 100 among facilities under 25 beds, and eight among facilities with at least 400 beds. Vizient, in a Nov. 6 post about the study, noted that of the closures, 315 hospitals closed fully and 117 retained outpatient services, including 45 rural emergency hospitals.