Rural hospitals sometimes look for lifelines through consolidation with big city hospitals. Now a couple of rural hospitals in Middle Georgia are trying a grassroots approach emphasizing local ownership. And, they say, it’s working.
The review, by the American College of Surgeons, sets most standards for trauma care in the state. But standards, mostly in logistics, are missing across Georgia's 159 counties, especially south of Atlanta.
A growing number of hospitals are shifting care into patients' homes. That means moving medications, machines and staffing with it, but hospitals are finding patients heal better, and it's cheaper.