ME · 16 Counties
Maine Rural Health FAQ
Data-driven answers about Maine's 38 hospitals, federal grants, health metrics, and access gaps.
🏥Hospital Access & Infrastructure
How many rural hospitals are in Maine?
Maine has 38 active hospitals across 16 counties, including 18 Critical Access Hospitals and 22 rural-designated facilities. Source: CMS Provider of Services.
How many hospital beds are available in Maine?
Maine's 38 hospitals collectively operate 4,410 beds. Source: CMS Provider of Services.
Which counties in Maine have no hospital?
1 of Maine's 16 counties (6%) 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 Maine?
Of Maine's 38 hospitals, 8 are not-for-profit, 2 are for-profit, and 28 are government-owned. Source: CMS Provider of Services.
How many hospitals have closed in Maine?
4 rural hospitals have closed in Maine since 2005. Source: UNC Sheps Center for Health Services Research.
💰Financial Health
What is the median operating margin for hospitals in Maine?
The median operating margin for Maine's hospitals is -2.8% as of FY2025. 5 hospitals are operating at a loss. Source: CMS Healthcare Cost Report Information System (HCRIS).
How many hospitals in Maine have negative operating margins?
5 of Maine'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 Maine?
The average occupancy rate across Maine's hospitals is 58.2% 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 Maine?
Maine receives 34 active HRSA grants totaling $30.9M in FY2025. Programs include Rural Health Outreach ($23.8M), Flex Program ($4.1M), Small Hospital Improvement (SHIP) ($1.5M), State Office of Rural Health ($1.5M). Source: USAspending.gov.
What is the Rural Health Care Services Outreach program in Maine?
Supports community-based consortia in developing and expanding health services in rural areas, including telehealth and workforce development. In Maine, this program (CFDA 93.912) provides $23.8M across 30 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 Maine?
Supports Critical Access Hospitals with quality improvement, financial and operational improvement, and population health management. In Maine, this program (CFDA 93.241) provides $4.1M 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 Maine?
Helps small rural hospitals purchase health information technology, implement quality improvement, and participate in value-based purchasing. In Maine, this program (CFDA 93.301) provides $1.5M 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 Maine?
Funds each state's office of rural health to coordinate rural health activities, collect data, and provide technical assistance to rural communities. In Maine, 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 Maine?
The largest rural health grant recipients in Maine are: Mainehealth ($10.8M); Health And Human Services, Maine Department Of ($7.1M); Aroostook Mental Health Services, Inc. ($3.0M); Healthy Acadia ($2.5M); Maine Primary Care Association ($2.4M). Source: USAspending.gov, FY2025.
🎯AHEAD & RHT Transformation
How much RHT Transformation funding did Maine receive?
Maine receives $190.0M/year under the CMS Rural Health Transformation Program (CFDA 93.798) for FY2026–2030 — approximately $950.0M over the full five-year period. The lead agency is Health and Human Services, Maine Department of. Source: USAspending.gov.
Who manages the RHT Transformation award in Maine?
Health and Human Services, Maine Department of is the designated lead agency managing Maine's $190.0M/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 Maine?
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. Maine's $190.0M/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 Maine's counties?
Across Maine's 16 counties, the average diabetes rate is 8.4%, obesity rate is 33.9%, and uninsured rate is 9.3%. There are 9.1 primary care physicians per 10,000 residents on average (2025). Source: County Health Rankings.
How vulnerable are Maine's communities?
Maine has 0 high-vulnerability counties based on CDC Social Vulnerability Index scores, with a statewide average SVI of 0.34 (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 Maine?
Maine has 449 Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) designations: 219 in primary care, 84 in dental health, and 146 in mental health. An estimated 2,375,232 people live in underserved areas. Source: HRSA Bureau of Health Workforce.
How many healthcare providers does Maine have?
Maine has 1,469 primary care physicians (105.3/100k population), 2,324 nurse practitioners, 1,309 physician assistants, and 1,022 dentists. Average Medicare per capita cost is $10,247 with a 15.4% readmission rate. Source: AHRF 2024-2025.
What are the key health indicators for Maine at the census tract level?
CDC PLACES data shows Maine's average county-level rates: diabetes 12.3%, obesity 34.1%, depression 27.2%, frequent mental distress 18%, smoking 15.9%, and high blood pressure 37.6%. These are derived from census-tract-level BRFSS estimates. Source: CDC PLACES 2023-2024.
How many Federally Qualified Health Centers are in Maine?
Maine has 167 FQHC sites operated by 18 grantee organizations. 94 sites (56.3%) are in rural areas and 73 are in urban areas. FQHCs are a critical safety-net for underserved populations. Source: HRSA GIS Portal.
How many Medically Underserved Areas are in Maine?
Maine has 52 HRSA medically underserved designations: 38 Medically Underserved Areas (MUAs) and 14 Medically Underserved Populations (MUPs). The average MUA score is 45.6 (lower scores indicate greater need). Source: HRSA GIS Portal.
🛠️Tools & Resources
Who can help rural hospitals in Maine 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 Maine?
Federal data on Maine'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 38 hospitals in Maine.
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 Maine Dashboard
Interactive dashboards, AI queries, and hospital risk scoring for Maine's 38 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.