Positioning Rural Hospitals for Sustainability and Where and How Telehealth Works

Nationwide, hospitals and policymakers are exploring strategies for improving financial viabil-ity of rural hospitals. Presentation will include key findings from a mixed methods study aimed at describing efforts undertaken by Georgia’s rural hospitals to improve financial performance. Discussion to include improvement strategies adopted in Georgia and in comparison to other states as well as high-performing rural hospitals nationwide. We will then review how Telehealth is positively impacting the delivery of healthcare and addressing health disparities and how it is and can be used in environments such as public health, hospitals, schools, skilled nursing facilities and others.