KY · 120 Counties
Kentucky Rural Health FAQ
Data-driven answers about Kentucky's 124 hospitals, federal grants, health metrics, and access gaps.
🏥Hospital Access & Infrastructure
How many rural hospitals are in Kentucky?
Kentucky has 124 active hospitals across 120 counties, including 29 Critical Access Hospitals and 69 rural-designated facilities. Source: CMS Provider of Services.
How many hospital beds are available in Kentucky?
Kentucky's 124 hospitals collectively operate 18,884 beds. Source: CMS Provider of Services.
Which counties in Kentucky have no hospital?
44 of Kentucky's 120 counties (37%) 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 Kentucky?
Of Kentucky's 124 hospitals, 50 are not-for-profit, 5 are for-profit, and 69 are government-owned. Source: CMS Provider of Services.
How many hospitals have closed in Kentucky?
4 rural hospitals have closed in Kentucky since 2005. Source: UNC Sheps Center for Health Services Research.
💰Financial Health
What is the median operating margin for hospitals in Kentucky?
The median operating margin for Kentucky's hospitals is 3.2% as of FY2025. 29 hospitals are operating at a loss. Source: CMS Healthcare Cost Report Information System (HCRIS).
How many hospitals in Kentucky have negative operating margins?
29 of Kentucky'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 Kentucky?
The average occupancy rate across Kentucky's hospitals is 48.3% 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 Kentucky?
Kentucky receives 40 active HRSA grants totaling $68.8M in FY2025. Programs include Rural Health Outreach ($57.6M), Flex Program ($6.0M), Small Hospital Improvement (SHIP) ($3.8M), State Office of Rural Health ($1.5M). Source: USAspending.gov.
What is the Rural Health Care Services Outreach program in Kentucky?
Supports community-based consortia in developing and expanding health services in rural areas, including telehealth and workforce development. In Kentucky, this program (CFDA 93.912) provides $57.6M across 36 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 Kentucky?
Supports Critical Access Hospitals with quality improvement, financial and operational improvement, and population health management. In Kentucky, this program (CFDA 93.241) provides $6.0M across 2 grants. 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 Small Hospital Improvement Program (SHIP) program in Kentucky?
Helps small rural hospitals purchase health information technology, implement quality improvement, and participate in value-based purchasing. In Kentucky, this program (CFDA 93.301) provides $3.8M 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 State Offices of Rural Health (SORH) program in Kentucky?
Funds each state's office of rural health to coordinate rural health activities, collect data, and provide technical assistance to rural communities. In Kentucky, 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.
Who are the largest grant recipients in Kentucky?
The largest rural health grant recipients in Kentucky are: Fletcher Group Inc ($27.1M); University Of Kentucky Research Foundation, The ($11.5M); Baptist Health Deaconess Madisonville, Inc. ($4.9M); Kentucky Rural Health Information Technology Network, Inc. ($2.8M); St. Claire Medical Center, Inc. ($2.5M). Source: USAspending.gov, FY2025.
🎯AHEAD & RHT Transformation
How much RHT Transformation funding did Kentucky receive?
Kentucky receives $212.9M/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 Kentucky Cabinet for Health Services. Source: USAspending.gov.
Who manages the RHT Transformation award in Kentucky?
Kentucky Cabinet for Health Services is the designated lead agency managing Kentucky's $212.9M/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 Kentucky?
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. Kentucky's $212.9M/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 Kentucky's counties?
Across Kentucky's 120 counties, the average diabetes rate is 12.5%, obesity rate is 40.1%, and uninsured rate is 7.0%. There are 4.2 primary care physicians per 10,000 residents on average (2025). Source: County Health Rankings.
How vulnerable are Kentucky's communities?
Kentucky has 24 high-vulnerability counties based on CDC Social Vulnerability Index scores, with a statewide average SVI of 0.53 (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 Kentucky?
Kentucky has 874 Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) designations: 369 in primary care, 221 in dental health, and 284 in mental health. An estimated 16,376,010 people live in underserved areas. Source: HRSA Bureau of Health Workforce.
How many healthcare providers does Kentucky have?
Kentucky has 2,859 primary care physicians (63.2/100k population), 8,745 nurse practitioners, 2,124 physician assistants, and 3,112 dentists. Average Medicare per capita cost is $11,444 with a 18.3% readmission rate. Source: AHRF 2024-2025.
How many Federally Qualified Health Centers are in Kentucky?
Kentucky has 640 FQHC sites operated by 28 grantee organizations. 462 sites (72.2%) are in rural areas and 178 are in urban areas. FQHCs are a critical safety-net for underserved populations. Source: HRSA GIS Portal.
How many Medically Underserved Areas are in Kentucky?
Kentucky has 111 HRSA medically underserved designations: 108 Medically Underserved Areas (MUAs) and 3 Medically Underserved Populations (MUPs). The average MUA score is 55 (lower scores indicate greater need). Source: HRSA GIS Portal.
🛠️Tools & Resources
Who can help rural hospitals in Kentucky 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 Kentucky?
Federal data on Kentucky'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 124 hospitals in Kentucky.
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 Kentucky Dashboard
Interactive dashboards, AI queries, and hospital risk scoring for Kentucky's 124 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.