MD · 24 Counties
Maryland Rural Health FAQ
Data-driven answers about Maryland's 69 hospitals, federal grants, health metrics, and access gaps.
🏥Hospital Access & Infrastructure
How many rural hospitals are in Maryland?
Maryland has 69 active hospitals across 24 counties, including 0 Critical Access Hospitals and 4 rural-designated facilities. Source: CMS Provider of Services.
How many hospital beds are available in Maryland?
Maryland's 69 hospitals collectively operate 15,856 beds. Source: CMS Provider of Services.
Which counties in Maryland have no hospital?
3 of Maryland's 24 counties (13%) 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 Maryland?
Of Maryland's 69 hospitals, 11 are not-for-profit, 5 are for-profit, and 53 are government-owned. Source: CMS Provider of Services.
How many hospitals have closed in Maryland?
1 rural hospital has closed in Maryland since 2005. Source: UNC Sheps Center for Health Services Research.
💰Financial Health
What is the median operating margin for hospitals in Maryland?
The median operating margin for Maryland's hospitals is -4.0% as of FY2025. 31 hospitals are operating at a loss. Source: CMS Healthcare Cost Report Information System (HCRIS).
How many hospitals in Maryland have negative operating margins?
31 of Maryland'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 Maryland?
The average occupancy rate across Maryland's hospitals is 72.9% 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 Maryland?
Maryland receives 5 active HRSA grants totaling $61.8M in FY2025. Programs include Rural Health Outreach ($60.3M), State Office of Rural Health ($1.3M), Small Hospital Improvement (SHIP) ($223K). Source: USAspending.gov.
What is the Rural Health Care Services Outreach program in Maryland?
Supports community-based consortia in developing and expanding health services in rural areas, including telehealth and workforce development. In Maryland, this program (CFDA 93.912) provides $60.3M across 3 grants. Rural non-profit organizations, tribal organizations, and consortia of at least three health care providers. Source: USAspending.gov, HRSA.
What is the State Offices of Rural Health (SORH) program in Maryland?
Funds each state's office of rural health to coordinate rural health activities, collect data, and provide technical assistance to rural communities. In Maryland, this program (CFDA 93.913) provides $1.3M 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 Maryland?
Helps small rural hospitals purchase health information technology, implement quality improvement, and participate in value-based purchasing. In Maryland, this program (CFDA 93.301) provides $223K 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 Maryland?
The largest rural health grant recipients in Maryland are: Jbs International, Inc. ($59.0M); Maryland Department Of Health ($1.5M); Worcester County ($741K); Pacific Institute For Research & Evaluation ($476K). Source: USAspending.gov, FY2025.
🎯AHEAD & RHT Transformation
How much RHT Transformation funding did Maryland receive?
Maryland receives $168.2M/year under the CMS Rural Health Transformation Program (CFDA 93.798) for FY2026–2030 — approximately $840.9M over the full five-year period. The lead agency is Maryland Department of Health. Source: USAspending.gov.
Who manages the RHT Transformation award in Maryland?
Maryland Department of Health is the designated lead agency managing Maryland's $168.2M/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 Maryland?
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. Maryland's $168.2M/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 Maryland's counties?
Across Maryland's 24 counties, the average diabetes rate is 10.6%, obesity rate is 35.7%, and uninsured rate is 6.4%. There are 6.6 primary care physicians per 10,000 residents on average (2025). Source: County Health Rankings.
How vulnerable are Maryland's communities?
Maryland has 6 high-vulnerability counties based on CDC Social Vulnerability Index scores, with a statewide average SVI of 0.41 (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 Maryland?
Maryland has 158 Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) designations: 67 in primary care, 52 in dental health, and 39 in mental health. An estimated 1,144,372 people live in underserved areas. Source: HRSA Bureau of Health Workforce.
How many healthcare providers does Maryland have?
Maryland has 5,293 primary care physicians (85.6/100k population), 9,123 nurse practitioners, 4,117 physician assistants, and 5,207 dentists. Average Medicare per capita cost is $14,043 with a 19% readmission rate. Source: AHRF 2024-2025.
What are the key health indicators for Maryland at the census tract level?
CDC PLACES data shows Maryland's average county-level rates: diabetes 12.7%, obesity 36.4%, depression 21.3%, frequent mental distress 16.1%, smoking 12.9%, and high blood pressure 38.5%. These are derived from census-tract-level BRFSS estimates. Source: CDC PLACES 2023-2024.
How many Federally Qualified Health Centers are in Maryland?
Maryland has 162 FQHC sites operated by 20 grantee organizations. 58 sites (35.8%) are in rural areas and 104 are in urban areas. FQHCs are a critical safety-net for underserved populations. Source: HRSA GIS Portal.
How many Medically Underserved Areas are in Maryland?
Maryland has 54 HRSA medically underserved designations: 42 Medically Underserved Areas (MUAs) and 12 Medically Underserved Populations (MUPs). The average MUA score is 55.4 (lower scores indicate greater need). Source: HRSA GIS Portal.
🛠️Tools & Resources
Who can help rural hospitals in Maryland 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 Maryland?
Federal data on Maryland'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 69 hospitals in Maryland.
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 Maryland Dashboard
Interactive dashboards, AI queries, and hospital risk scoring for Maryland's 69 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.