The Workers’ Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) published a new report that examines how hospital closures in both urban and rural areas
affect access to care, use of care, claim costs, and duration of disability for workers recovering from work‑related injuries.

In urban areas, hospital closures showed little impact on access to care or overall claim outcomes. However, the report found that rural hospital
closures led to a 5-mile longer travel distance to emergency care services, a 3.6% lower use of emergency care services, and a more than
10% lower use of emergency care services among workers who are farther away from nearby hospitals.

Read the full announcement from HealtheSystems here.  Additional information about the new WCRI study, Impact of Hospital Closures on Access to Care and Claim Outcomes, can be found on our website, along with instructions on how you can get copies of our work!  (Hint: free to members.)