by Brendan Stermer | A Rural Monitor article from the Rural Health Information Hub

As the Thrive Rural Framework makes clear, rural health and rural community and economic development are inextricably connected—neither field can be successful without the other. Thriving economies and communities require healthy people, and people need strong economic and health systems to thrive.

It’s hard enough for many of Wisconsin’s rural communities to deal with the challenges resulting from declining population, struggling family farms, and the stresses brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. What if they lost their local hospitals? Residents need access to emergency medical care, and an aging population generally depends on more—and more costly—health care. “During an economic decline, it is often very challenging for rural hospitals to keep their doors open and to retain access...

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