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Rural Kansas Hospitals Struggle to Stay Afloat

Phillips County Hospital, in Phillipsburg--one of 84 Critical Access Hospital in Kansas (photo by Bryan Thompson)
Phillips County Hospital, in Phillipsburg--one of 84 Critical Access Hospital in Kansas (photo by Bryan Thompson)

There are a lot of small, rural hospitals in Kansas. Without them, many residents would have to travel long distances for care. And in many small towns, the hospital is one of the largest employers - making it vital to the local economy. But declining populations, combined with changes in the way hospitals are paid for services, are making it more difficult for many to survive.  Heartland Health Monitor's Bryan Thompson has more.


Bryan Thompson has been KPR's Health Reporter since 2000. He's a lifelong Kansan, and a graduate of Wichita State University. He's been involved in radio news longer than he'd care to admit, serving as news director at stations in El Dorado, Liberal, and Salina before joining KPR. He and his wife, Cindy, are the parents of six outstanding children--one of whom now looks down on them from above. In his spare time, Bryan enjoys music and sports.