KS · 105 Counties
Kansas Rural Health FAQ
Data-driven answers about Kansas's 155 hospitals, federal grants, health metrics, and access gaps.
🏥Hospital Access & Infrastructure
How many rural hospitals are in Kansas?
Kansas has 155 active hospitals across 105 counties, including 82 Critical Access Hospitals and 96 rural-designated facilities. Source: CMS Provider of Services.
How many hospital beds are available in Kansas?
Kansas's 155 hospitals collectively operate 14,027 beds. Source: CMS Provider of Services.
Which counties in Kansas have no hospital?
10 of Kansas's 105 counties (10%) 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 Kansas?
Of Kansas's 155 hospitals, 94 are not-for-profit, 2 are for-profit, and 59 are government-owned. Source: CMS Provider of Services.
How many hospitals have closed in Kansas?
9 rural hospitals have closed in Kansas since 2005. Source: UNC Sheps Center for Health Services Research.
💰Financial Health
What is the median operating margin for hospitals in Kansas?
The median operating margin for Kansas's hospitals is -10.2% as of FY2025. 30 hospitals are operating at a loss. Source: CMS Healthcare Cost Report Information System (HCRIS).
How many hospitals in Kansas have negative operating margins?
30 of Kansas'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 Kansas?
The average occupancy rate across Kansas's hospitals is 34.3% 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 Kansas?
Kansas receives 12 active HRSA grants totaling $25.6M in FY2025. Programs include Rural Health Outreach ($9.0M), Small Hospital Improvement (SHIP) ($8.0M), Flex Program ($7.3M), State Office of Rural Health ($1.4M). Source: USAspending.gov.
What is the Rural Health Care Services Outreach program in Kansas?
Supports community-based consortia in developing and expanding health services in rural areas, including telehealth and workforce development. In Kansas, this program (CFDA 93.912) provides $9.0M across 9 grants. Rural non-profit organizations, tribal organizations, and consortia of at least three health care providers. Source: USAspending.gov, HRSA.
What is the Small Hospital Improvement Program (SHIP) program in Kansas?
Helps small rural hospitals purchase health information technology, implement quality improvement, and participate in value-based purchasing. In Kansas, this program (CFDA 93.301) provides $8.0M 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.
What is the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Grant (Flex) program in Kansas?
Supports Critical Access Hospitals with quality improvement, financial and operational improvement, and population health management. In Kansas, this program (CFDA 93.241) provides $7.3M 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 Kansas?
Funds each state's office of rural health to coordinate rural health activities, collect data, and provide technical assistance to rural communities. In Kansas, this program (CFDA 93.913) provides $1.4M across 1 grant. One award per state to the designated state office of rural health. Source: USAspending.gov, HRSA.
Who are the largest grant recipients in Kansas?
The largest rural health grant recipients in Kansas are: Kansas Department Of Health & Environment ($16.6M); University Of Kansas Medical Center Research Institute, Inc. ($3.5M); Kansas Clinical Improvement Collaborative, Llc ($1.5M); Thrive Allen County ($1.0M); Nemaha Valley Community Hospital ($900K). Source: USAspending.gov, FY2025.
🎯AHEAD & RHT Transformation
How much RHT Transformation funding did Kansas receive?
Kansas receives $221.9M/year under the CMS Rural Health Transformation Program (CFDA 93.798) for FY2026–2030 — approximately $1.1B over the full five-year period. The lead agency is Kansas Department of Health & Environment. Source: USAspending.gov.
Who manages the RHT Transformation award in Kansas?
Kansas Department of Health & Environment is the designated lead agency managing Kansas's $221.9M/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 Kansas?
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. Kansas's $221.9M/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 Kansas's counties?
Across Kansas's 105 counties, the average diabetes rate is 10.6%, obesity rate is 39.5%, and uninsured rate is 11.5%. There are 6.6 primary care physicians per 10,000 residents on average (2025). Source: County Health Rankings.
How vulnerable are Kansas's communities?
Kansas has 5 high-vulnerability counties based on CDC Social Vulnerability Index scores, with a statewide average SVI of 0.33 (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 Kansas?
Kansas has 422 Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) designations: 138 in primary care, 112 in dental health, and 172 in mental health. An estimated 4,336,695 people live in underserved areas. Source: HRSA Bureau of Health Workforce.
How many healthcare providers does Kansas have?
Kansas has 2,326 primary care physicians (79.1/100k population), 4,196 nurse practitioners, 1,508 physician assistants, and 1,903 dentists. Average Medicare per capita cost is $13,590 with a 15% readmission rate. Source: AHRF 2024-2025.
What are the key health indicators for Kansas at the census tract level?
CDC PLACES data shows Kansas's average county-level rates: diabetes 12.7%, obesity 38.7%, depression 20.8%, frequent mental distress 16.3%, smoking 16%, and high blood pressure 37.7%. These are derived from census-tract-level BRFSS estimates. Source: CDC PLACES 2023-2024.
How many Federally Qualified Health Centers are in Kansas?
Kansas has 174 FQHC sites operated by 19 grantee organizations. 123 sites (70.7%) are in rural areas and 51 are in urban areas. FQHCs are a critical safety-net for underserved populations. Source: HRSA GIS Portal.
How many Medically Underserved Areas are in Kansas?
Kansas has 106 HRSA medically underserved designations: 92 Medically Underserved Areas (MUAs) and 14 Medically Underserved Populations (MUPs). The average MUA score is 51.2 (lower scores indicate greater need). Source: HRSA GIS Portal.
🛠️Tools & Resources
Who can help rural hospitals in Kansas 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 Kansas?
Federal data on Kansas'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 155 hospitals in Kansas.
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 Kansas Dashboard
Interactive dashboards, AI queries, and hospital risk scoring for Kansas's 155 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.