VA · 133 Counties
Virginia Rural Health FAQ
Data-driven answers about Virginia's 129 hospitals, federal grants, health metrics, and access gaps.
🏥Hospital Access & Infrastructure
How many rural hospitals are in Virginia?
Virginia has 129 active hospitals across 133 counties, including 8 Critical Access Hospitals and 25 rural-designated facilities. Source: CMS Provider of Services.
How many hospital beds are available in Virginia?
Virginia's 129 hospitals collectively operate 23,008 beds. Source: CMS Provider of Services.
Which counties in Virginia have no hospital?
65 of Virginia's 133 counties (49%) 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 Virginia?
Of Virginia's 129 hospitals, 40 are not-for-profit, 8 are for-profit, and 81 are government-owned. Source: CMS Provider of Services.
How many hospitals have closed in Virginia?
2 rural hospitals have closed in Virginia since 2005. Source: UNC Sheps Center for Health Services Research.
💰Financial Health
What is the median operating margin for hospitals in Virginia?
The median operating margin for Virginia's hospitals is 3.9% as of FY2025. 11 hospitals are operating at a loss. Source: CMS Healthcare Cost Report Information System (HCRIS).
How many hospitals in Virginia have negative operating margins?
11 of Virginia'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 Virginia?
The average occupancy rate across Virginia's hospitals is 66.9% 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 Virginia?
Virginia receives 28 active HRSA grants totaling $35.7M in FY2025. Programs include Rural Health Outreach ($30.1M), Flex Program ($2.5M), Small Hospital Improvement (SHIP) ($1.7M), State Office of Rural Health ($1.3M). Source: USAspending.gov.
What is the Rural Health Care Services Outreach program in Virginia?
Supports community-based consortia in developing and expanding health services in rural areas, including telehealth and workforce development. In Virginia, this program (CFDA 93.912) provides $30.1M 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 Virginia?
Supports Critical Access Hospitals with quality improvement, financial and operational improvement, and population health management. In Virginia, this program (CFDA 93.241) provides $2.5M 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 Small Hospital Improvement Program (SHIP) program in Virginia?
Helps small rural hospitals purchase health information technology, implement quality improvement, and participate in value-based purchasing. In Virginia, this program (CFDA 93.301) provides $1.7M 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 Virginia?
Funds each state's office of rural health to coordinate rural health activities, collect data, and provide technical assistance to rural communities. In Virginia, 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 Virginia?
The largest rural health grant recipients in Virginia are: Customer Value Partners, Llc ($15.0M); Commonwealth Of Virginia State Board Of Health ($5.6M); Virginia Rural Health Association ($4.7M); Bay Rivers Telehealth Alliance ($2.4M); Rector & Visitors Of The University Of Virginia ($1.5M). Source: USAspending.gov, FY2025.
🎯AHEAD & RHT Transformation
How much RHT Transformation funding did Virginia receive?
Virginia receives $189.5M/year under the CMS Rural Health Transformation Program (CFDA 93.798) for FY2026–2030 — approximately $947.7M over the full five-year period. The lead agency is Va Department of Medical Assistance Service. Source: USAspending.gov.
Who manages the RHT Transformation award in Virginia?
Va Department of Medical Assistance Service is the designated lead agency managing Virginia's $189.5M/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 Virginia?
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. Virginia's $189.5M/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 Virginia's counties?
Across Virginia's 133 counties, the average diabetes rate is 12.0%, obesity rate is 38.6%, and uninsured rate is 7.9%. There are 6.0 primary care physicians per 10,000 residents on average (2025). Source: County Health Rankings.
How vulnerable are Virginia's communities?
Virginia has 30 high-vulnerability counties based on CDC Social Vulnerability Index scores, with a statewide average SVI of 0.44 (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 Virginia?
Virginia has 598 Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) designations: 214 in primary care, 168 in dental health, and 216 in mental health. An estimated 8,901,667 people live in underserved areas. Source: HRSA Bureau of Health Workforce.
How many healthcare providers does Virginia have?
Virginia has 6,614 primary care physicians (75.9/100k population), 10,621 nurse practitioners, 4,725 physician assistants, and 6,828 dentists. Average Medicare per capita cost is $11,204 with a 17% readmission rate. Source: AHRF 2024-2025.
What are the key health indicators for Virginia at the census tract level?
CDC PLACES data shows Virginia's average county-level rates: diabetes 14.4%, obesity 37.9%, depression 23.4%, frequent mental distress 17.4%, smoking 15.1%, and high blood pressure 39.5%. These are derived from census-tract-level BRFSS estimates. Source: CDC PLACES 2023-2024.
How many Federally Qualified Health Centers are in Virginia?
Virginia has 220 FQHC sites operated by 30 grantee organizations. 111 sites (50.5%) are in rural areas and 109 are in urban areas. FQHCs are a critical safety-net for underserved populations. Source: HRSA GIS Portal.
How many Medically Underserved Areas are in Virginia?
Virginia has 109 HRSA medically underserved designations: 81 Medically Underserved Areas (MUAs) and 28 Medically Underserved Populations (MUPs). The average MUA score is 55.2 (lower scores indicate greater need). Source: HRSA GIS Portal.
🛠️Tools & Resources
Who can help rural hospitals in Virginia 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 Virginia?
Federal data on Virginia'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 129 hospitals in Virginia.
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 Virginia Dashboard
Interactive dashboards, AI queries, and hospital risk scoring for Virginia's 129 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.