Two rural Ballad Health hospitals at risk of closure according to new report

Two Ballad Health hospitals are at risk of closure, according to a new report from the Virginia Joint Commission on Healthcare. The report says that Dickenson Community Hospital and Smyth County Community Hospital are at risk of closure. It’s the second-highest risk level under “immediate risk of closure.” The report notes that low patient volumes, rising costs, workforce shortages, and low reimbursement rates from Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurers as the primary reasons for the risk assessment. Ballad Health released a statement that said, in part, that the passage of H.R. 1 poses challenges to rural hospitals and in 2028 those hospitals will face material cuts. The statement also said that Ballad was monitoring the situation and will continue to advocate aggressively to preserve access to community hospitals.