MO · 115 Counties
Missouri Rural Health FAQ
Data-driven answers about Missouri's 143 hospitals, federal grants, health metrics, and access gaps.
🏥Hospital Access & Infrastructure
How many rural hospitals are in Missouri?
Missouri has 143 active hospitals across 115 counties, including 35 Critical Access Hospitals and 51 rural-designated facilities. Source: CMS Provider of Services.
How many hospital beds are available in Missouri?
Missouri's 143 hospitals collectively operate 23,818 beds. Source: CMS Provider of Services.
Which counties in Missouri have no hospital?
47 of Missouri's 115 counties (41%) 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 Missouri?
Of Missouri's 143 hospitals, 68 are not-for-profit, 7 are for-profit, and 68 are government-owned. Source: CMS Provider of Services.
How many hospitals have closed in Missouri?
10 rural hospitals have closed in Missouri since 2005. Source: UNC Sheps Center for Health Services Research.
💰Financial Health
What is the median operating margin for hospitals in Missouri?
The median operating margin for Missouri's hospitals is -3.2% as of FY2025. 32 hospitals are operating at a loss. Source: CMS Healthcare Cost Report Information System (HCRIS).
How many hospitals in Missouri have negative operating margins?
32 of Missouri'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 Missouri?
The average occupancy rate across Missouri's hospitals is 51.0% 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 Missouri?
Missouri receives 68 active HRSA grants totaling $63.5M in FY2025. Programs include Rural Health Outreach ($55.1M), Small Hospital Improvement (SHIP) ($3.6M), Flex Program ($3.5M), State Office of Rural Health ($1.3M). Source: USAspending.gov.
What is the Rural Health Care Services Outreach program in Missouri?
Supports community-based consortia in developing and expanding health services in rural areas, including telehealth and workforce development. In Missouri, this program (CFDA 93.912) provides $55.1M across 65 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 Missouri?
Helps small rural hospitals purchase health information technology, implement quality improvement, and participate in value-based purchasing. In Missouri, this program (CFDA 93.301) provides $3.6M 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 Missouri?
Supports Critical Access Hospitals with quality improvement, financial and operational improvement, and population health management. In Missouri, this program (CFDA 93.241) provides $3.5M 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 Missouri?
Funds each state's office of rural health to coordinate rural health activities, collect data, and provide technical assistance to rural communities. In Missouri, 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.
Who are the largest grant recipients in Missouri?
The largest rural health grant recipients in Missouri are: Missouri Department Of Health & Senior Services ($8.4M); Randolph County Caring Community, Inc. ($5.7M); Washington County Memorial Hospital ($5.6M); Big Springs Medical Association Inc. ($4.7M); Hcc Network ($4.1M). Source: USAspending.gov, FY2025.
🎯AHEAD & RHT Transformation
How much RHT Transformation funding did Missouri receive?
Missouri receives $216.3M/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 Department of Social Services Misso. Source: USAspending.gov.
Who manages the RHT Transformation award in Missouri?
Department of Social Services Misso is the designated lead agency managing Missouri's $216.3M/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 Missouri?
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. Missouri's $216.3M/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 Missouri's counties?
Across Missouri's 115 counties, the average diabetes rate is 10.7%, obesity rate is 39.8%, and uninsured rate is 12.5%. There are 4.3 primary care physicians per 10,000 residents on average (2025). Source: County Health Rankings.
How vulnerable are Missouri's communities?
Missouri has 13 high-vulnerability counties based on CDC Social Vulnerability Index scores, with a statewide average SVI of 0.47 (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 Missouri?
Missouri has 909 Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) designations: 319 in primary care, 296 in dental health, and 294 in mental health. An estimated 5,696,499 people live in underserved areas. Source: HRSA Bureau of Health Workforce.
How many healthcare providers does Missouri have?
Missouri has 4,470 primary care physicians (72.1/100k population), 9,449 nurse practitioners, 1,954 physician assistants, and 4,061 dentists. Average Medicare per capita cost is $11,492 with a 17% readmission rate. Source: AHRF 2024-2025.
What are the key health indicators for Missouri at the census tract level?
CDC PLACES data shows Missouri's average county-level rates: diabetes 13.9%, obesity 39%, depression 25.3%, frequent mental distress 18.3%, smoking 19.1%, and high blood pressure 40%. These are derived from census-tract-level BRFSS estimates. Source: CDC PLACES 2023-2024.
How many Federally Qualified Health Centers are in Missouri?
Missouri has 470 FQHC sites operated by 28 grantee organizations. 299 sites (63.6%) are in rural areas and 171 are in urban areas. FQHCs are a critical safety-net for underserved populations. Source: HRSA GIS Portal.
How many Medically Underserved Areas are in Missouri?
Missouri has 123 HRSA medically underserved designations: 116 Medically Underserved Areas (MUAs) and 7 Medically Underserved Populations (MUPs). The average MUA score is 52.1 (lower scores indicate greater need). Source: HRSA GIS Portal.
🛠️Tools & Resources
Who can help rural hospitals in Missouri 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 Missouri?
Federal data on Missouri'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 143 hospitals in Missouri.
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 Missouri Dashboard
Interactive dashboards, AI queries, and hospital risk scoring for Missouri's 143 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.