OH · 88 Counties
Ohio Rural Health FAQ
Data-driven answers about Ohio's 261 hospitals, federal grants, health metrics, and access gaps.
🏥Hospital Access & Infrastructure
How many rural hospitals are in Ohio?
Ohio has 261 active hospitals across 88 counties, including 34 Critical Access Hospitals and 68 rural-designated facilities. Source: CMS Provider of Services.
How many hospital beds are available in Ohio?
Ohio's 261 hospitals collectively operate 48,733 beds. Source: CMS Provider of Services.
Which counties in Ohio have no hospital?
11 of Ohio's 88 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 Ohio?
Of Ohio's 261 hospitals, 96 are not-for-profit, 7 are for-profit, and 158 are government-owned. Source: CMS Provider of Services.
How many hospitals have closed in Ohio?
3 rural hospitals have closed in Ohio since 2005. Source: UNC Sheps Center for Health Services Research.
💰Financial Health
What is the median operating margin for hospitals in Ohio?
The median operating margin for Ohio's hospitals is 5.0% as of FY2025. 22 hospitals are operating at a loss. Source: CMS Healthcare Cost Report Information System (HCRIS).
How many hospitals in Ohio have negative operating margins?
22 of Ohio'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 Ohio?
The average occupancy rate across Ohio's hospitals is 58.8% 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 Ohio?
Ohio receives 28 active HRSA grants totaling $31.9M in FY2025. Programs include Rural Health Outreach ($21.3M), Flex Program ($6.3M), Small Hospital Improvement (SHIP) ($2.9M), State Office of Rural Health ($1.5M). Source: USAspending.gov.
What is the Rural Health Care Services Outreach program in Ohio?
Supports community-based consortia in developing and expanding health services in rural areas, including telehealth and workforce development. In Ohio, this program (CFDA 93.912) provides $21.3M across 25 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 Ohio?
Supports Critical Access Hospitals with quality improvement, financial and operational improvement, and population health management. In Ohio, this program (CFDA 93.241) provides $6.3M 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 Small Hospital Improvement Program (SHIP) program in Ohio?
Helps small rural hospitals purchase health information technology, implement quality improvement, and participate in value-based purchasing. In Ohio, this program (CFDA 93.301) provides $2.9M 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 Ohio?
Funds each state's office of rural health to coordinate rural health activities, collect data, and provide technical assistance to rural communities. In Ohio, 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 Ohio?
The largest rural health grant recipients in Ohio are: Ohio Department Of Health ($10.7M); Hopewell Health Centers Inc. ($3.3M); Ohiohealth Research Institute ($3.2M); Ohio University ($2.5M); Cincinnati Univ Of ($2.4M). Source: USAspending.gov, FY2025.
🎯AHEAD & RHT Transformation
How much RHT Transformation funding did Ohio receive?
Ohio receives $202.0M/year under the CMS Rural Health Transformation Program (CFDA 93.798) for FY2026–2030 — approximately $1.0B over the full five-year period. The lead agency is Ohio Department of Health. Source: USAspending.gov.
Who manages the RHT Transformation award in Ohio?
Ohio Department of Health is the designated lead agency managing Ohio's $202.0M/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 Ohio?
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. Ohio's $202.0M/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 Ohio's counties?
Across Ohio's 88 counties, the average diabetes rate is 11.7%, obesity rate is 40.9%, and uninsured rate is 7.5%. There are 4.8 primary care physicians per 10,000 residents on average (2025). Source: County Health Rankings.
How vulnerable are Ohio's communities?
Ohio has 1 high-vulnerability counties based on CDC Social Vulnerability Index scores, with a statewide average SVI of 0.35 (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 Ohio?
Ohio has 2058 Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) designations: 1071 in primary care, 818 in dental health, and 169 in mental health. An estimated 76,725,012 people live in underserved areas. Source: HRSA Bureau of Health Workforce.
How many healthcare providers does Ohio have?
Ohio has 9,034 primary care physicians (76.7/100k population), 18,705 nurse practitioners, 5,652 physician assistants, and 7,860 dentists. Average Medicare per capita cost is $11,530 with a 17.9% readmission rate. Source: AHRF 2024-2025.
What are the key health indicators for Ohio at the census tract level?
CDC PLACES data shows Ohio's average county-level rates: diabetes 14.1%, obesity 39.5%, depression 26.3%, frequent mental distress 18.5%, smoking 17.8%, and high blood pressure 39.3%. These are derived from census-tract-level BRFSS estimates. Source: CDC PLACES 2023-2024.
How many Federally Qualified Health Centers are in Ohio?
Ohio has 576 FQHC sites operated by 57 grantee organizations. 205 sites (35.6%) are in rural areas and 371 are in urban areas. FQHCs are a critical safety-net for underserved populations. Source: HRSA GIS Portal.
How many Medically Underserved Areas are in Ohio?
Ohio has 137 HRSA medically underserved designations: 119 Medically Underserved Areas (MUAs) and 18 Medically Underserved Populations (MUPs). The average MUA score is 55.9 (lower scores indicate greater need). Source: HRSA GIS Portal.
🛠️Tools & Resources
Who can help rural hospitals in Ohio 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 Ohio?
Federal data on Ohio'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 261 hospitals in Ohio.
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 Ohio Dashboard
Interactive dashboards, AI queries, and hospital risk scoring for Ohio's 261 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.