Rural counties also tend to have a larger share of older residents. About 17% of Pennsylvania’s 12.8 million residents are older than 65, Census data show. In many rural counties, older residents make up about 20% of the population.
The latest coronavirus relief bill included $7 billion to expand broadband internet access, and Pennsylvania is expected to get $850 million, according to Gov. Tom Wolf’s office.
Health care resources in rural Pennsylvania are stretched thin.
No one in Ellwood City seems to know if or when the hospital will reopen, and Americore hasn’t responded to media requests.
By Sarah Boden/WESA A new fiscal model aimed at keeping rural hospitals solvent is expanding in Pennsylvania, though this global budgeting strategy doesn’t always prevent facilities from operating at a loss.
Health systems have widely adopted the practice of telemedicine, but insurers don’t always cover it.
