AZ · 15 Counties
Arizona Rural Health FAQ
Data-driven answers about Arizona's 150 hospitals, federal grants, health metrics, and access gaps.
🏥Hospital Access & Infrastructure
How many rural hospitals are in Arizona?
Arizona has 150 active hospitals across 15 counties, including 17 Critical Access Hospitals and 18 rural-designated facilities. Source: CMS Provider of Services.
How many hospital beds are available in Arizona?
Arizona's 150 hospitals collectively operate 20,249 beds. Source: CMS Provider of Services.
Which counties in Arizona have no hospital?
1 of Arizona's 15 counties (7%) are hospital deserts — counties with no hospital facility. Residents must travel to neighboring areas for inpatient care. Source: CMS Provider of Services, RHT Compass analysis.
What is the hospital ownership breakdown in Arizona?
Of Arizona's 150 hospitals, 72 are not-for-profit, 8 are for-profit, and 70 are government-owned. Source: CMS Provider of Services.
How many hospitals have closed in Arizona?
4 rural hospitals have closed in Arizona since 2005. Source: UNC Sheps Center for Health Services Research.
💰Financial Health
What is the median operating margin for hospitals in Arizona?
The median operating margin for Arizona's hospitals is 7.3% as of FY2025. 6 hospitals are operating at a loss. Source: CMS Healthcare Cost Report Information System (HCRIS).
How many hospitals in Arizona have negative operating margins?
6 of Arizona's hospitals reported negative operating margins in FY2025, meaning their operating expenses exceeded revenue. Source: CMS HCRIS.
What is the average hospital occupancy rate in Arizona?
The average occupancy rate across Arizona's hospitals is 64.3% as of FY2025. Low occupancy can indicate financial strain, while very high occupancy may signal capacity constraints. Source: CMS HCRIS.
💵Grants & Programs
What federal grants are available for rural hospitals in Arizona?
Arizona receives 25 active HRSA grants totaling $35.4M in FY2025. Programs include Rural Health Outreach ($26.9M), Flex Program ($6.0M), State Office of Rural Health ($1.5M), Small Hospital Improvement (SHIP) ($1.1M). Source: USAspending.gov.
What is the Rural Health Care Services Outreach program in Arizona?
Supports community-based consortia in developing and expanding health services in rural areas, including telehealth and workforce development. In Arizona, this program (CFDA 93.912) provides $26.9M across 22 grants. Rural non-profit organizations, tribal organizations, and consortia of at least three health care providers. Source: USAspending.gov, HRSA.
What is the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Grant (Flex) program in Arizona?
Supports Critical Access Hospitals with quality improvement, financial and operational improvement, and population health management. In Arizona, this program (CFDA 93.241) provides $6.0M across 1 grant. State offices of rural health apply on behalf of CAHs. Funds flow to state agencies, which distribute to eligible facilities. Source: USAspending.gov, HRSA.
What is the State Offices of Rural Health (SORH) program in Arizona?
Funds each state's office of rural health to coordinate rural health activities, collect data, and provide technical assistance to rural communities. In Arizona, this program (CFDA 93.913) provides $1.5M across 1 grant. One award per state to the designated state office of rural health. Source: USAspending.gov, HRSA.
What is the Small Hospital Improvement Program (SHIP) program in Arizona?
Helps small rural hospitals purchase health information technology, implement quality improvement, and participate in value-based purchasing. In Arizona, this program (CFDA 93.301) provides $1.1M across 1 grant. Hospitals with 49 or fewer beds that are not Critical Access Hospitals. Administered through state offices of rural health. Source: USAspending.gov, HRSA.
Who are the largest grant recipients in Arizona?
The largest rural health grant recipients in Arizona are: University Of Arizona ($8.7M); Mariposa Community Health Center, Inc. ($4.6M); Chiricahua Community Health Centers Inc ($3.3M); Horizon Health And Wellness, Inc. ($3.0M); Creek Valley Health Clinic ($2.8M). Source: USAspending.gov, FY2025.
🎯AHEAD & RHT Transformation
How much RHT Transformation funding did Arizona receive?
Arizona receives $167.0M/year under the CMS Rural Health Transformation Program (CFDA 93.798) for FY2026–2030 — approximately $834.9M over the full five-year period. The lead agency is Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System. Source: USAspending.gov.
Who manages the RHT Transformation award in Arizona?
Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System is the designated lead agency managing Arizona's $167.0M/year RHT Transformation award. The performance period runs from 2025-12-29 to 2030-10-30. Source: USAspending.gov.
What is the CMS AHEAD model and how does it affect Arizona?
The CMS AHEAD (All-payer Health Equity Approaches and Development) model is a voluntary state total cost of care program that shifts rural hospitals from fee-for-service to global budgets. Arizona's $167.0M/year RHT award supports the transition. Hospitals can use the AHEAD Readiness checklist at rhtcompass.com/ahead to assess preparedness.
❤️Community Health
What are the key health indicators for Arizona's counties?
Across Arizona's 15 counties, the average diabetes rate is 12.1%, obesity rate is 34.9%, and uninsured rate is 14.0%. There are 5.3 primary care physicians per 10,000 residents on average (2025). Source: County Health Rankings.
How vulnerable are Arizona's communities?
Arizona has 12 high-vulnerability counties based on CDC Social Vulnerability Index scores, with a statewide average SVI of 0.83 (on a 0-1 scale where 1 is most vulnerable). Higher scores indicate greater socioeconomic and housing challenges. Source: CDC SVI (2022).
What health professional shortages exist in Arizona?
Arizona has 1150 Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) designations: 700 in primary care, 303 in dental health, and 147 in mental health. An estimated 16,489,550 people live in underserved areas. Source: HRSA Bureau of Health Workforce.
How many healthcare providers does Arizona have?
Arizona has 4,748 primary care physicians (63.9/100k population), 9,435 nurse practitioners, 4,374 physician assistants, and 5,188 dentists. Average Medicare per capita cost is $11,426 with a 16.4% readmission rate. Source: AHRF 2024-2025.
What are the key health indicators for Arizona at the census tract level?
CDC PLACES data shows Arizona's average county-level rates: diabetes 13.9%, obesity 33.3%, depression 20.1%, frequent mental distress 16.4%, smoking 14.7%, and high blood pressure 36.8%. These are derived from census-tract-level BRFSS estimates. Source: CDC PLACES 2023-2024.
How many Federally Qualified Health Centers are in Arizona?
Arizona has 265 FQHC sites operated by 25 grantee organizations. 71 sites (26.8%) are in rural areas and 194 are in urban areas. FQHCs are a critical safety-net for underserved populations. Source: HRSA GIS Portal.
How many Medically Underserved Areas are in Arizona?
Arizona has 49 HRSA medically underserved designations: 38 Medically Underserved Areas (MUAs) and 11 Medically Underserved Populations (MUPs). The average MUA score is 53.4 (lower scores indicate greater need). Source: HRSA GIS Portal.
🛠️Tools & Resources
Who can help rural hospitals in Arizona prepare for the CMS AHEAD model?
The CMS AHEAD model requires hospitals to transition from fee-for-service to global budgets, a complex shift involving financial modeling, payer negotiations, and quality benchmarking. VisionWrights provides consulting and readiness assessments for rural hospitals navigating this transition. A free AHEAD Readiness checklist is available at rhtcompass.com/ahead.
Where can I find comprehensive data on rural hospitals in Arizona?
Federal data on Arizona's rural hospitals is spread across CMS, HRSA, CDC, and other agencies. RHT Compass integrates 15 federal data sources into a single platform with hospital profiles, county health dashboards, financial benchmarks, and grant tracking for all 150 hospitals in Arizona.
How can I assess my hospital's AHEAD readiness?
The free AHEAD Readiness checklist at rhtcompass.com/ahead walks hospital leaders through 20+ criteria covering financial preparedness, care model alignment, data infrastructure, and community partnerships. It takes about 10 minutes and produces an actionable readiness score.
See the Full Arizona Dashboard
Interactive dashboards, AI queries, and hospital risk scoring for Arizona's 150 hospitals.
Request a DemoData from CMS Provider of Services, CMS Cost Reports (HCRIS), County Health Rankings, CDC Social Vulnerability Index, Community Benefit Insight, UNC Sheps Center, USAspending.gov, and HRSA Bureau of Health Workforce. Last updated: 2026-03-11.