12 Hospitals That Had to Officially Close Their Doors in 2024

As more hospitals close their doors, it can be tougher to access health care services.

Rural community hospitals are at especially high risk for closing, with around 50% operating at a loss, according to a study by Chartis Center for Rural Health.

When hospitals close, it can impact your health and, if you have to pay to travel to another hospital, your financial fitness.

So far, 12 hospitals in the U.S. have announced they will close in 2024. Is your local facility one of them? Check this list to find out.

Select Specialty Hospital is expected to close in June. It is located inside Christus Good Shepherd Medical Center in Longview, and the host hospital decided not to renew the lease.

Select Specialty Hospital serves as a critical illness recovery hospital for patients. Those impacted by the closure include physical, respiratory, and occupational therapists.

The Louisiana Department of Health recently shut down Prairieville Family Hospital in Prairieville, Louisiana.

The department said the facility didn’t meet the minimum requirements for the average number of days patients stayed there.

Papillion Family Hospital in Papillion, Nebraska, was abruptly shut down in March due to financial woes.

Dr. Henry Higgins — CEO of the parent company of the hospital, Family Hospital Systems — said the facility had to close immediately or risk not paying workers for the hours they worked.

The Family Hospital at Millard, also owned by Family Hospital Systems, closed in January due to financial issues.

Some employees at that facility moved to Papillion Family Hospital, only to see their new location eventually close its doors.

The April closure of New England Sinai Hospital was expected. Several months ago, Dallas-based Steward Health Care — which owns the hospital — announced it would be closing the facility.

Steward Health Care said it had lost $22 million on operations and that nearly 75% of patients were on Medicare or Medicaid, which was underpaying for services.

Stringfellow Memorial Hospital in Anniston, Alabama, won’t shut down completely but instead will transition to providing different care.

The hospital’s in-patient and emergency services are being moved to another facility while the current building is transitioned to outpatient care and an urgent care facility.

St. Joseph's Hospital in Chippewa Falls announced it would be closing in March.

The hospital, which was run by Hospital Sisters Health System (HSHS), had already suspended surgical services in October due to operational and staffing challenges.

Sacred Heart Hospital in Eau Claire was also part of the Wisconsin closures initiated by Hospital Sisters Health System (HSHS).

The hospital shut down on the same day as St. Joseph’s Hospital in Chippewa Falls.

Jellico Regional Hospital in Jellico, Tennessee, had to close its doors due to a lack of administration for the hospital.

The hospital’s CEO resigned, and the company that owned the facility decided to pull out of the building in March.

Aspirus Ontonagon Hospital in Ontonagon, Michigan, stopped providing hospital care and emergency care in April.

The company that owns the hospital converted it to a rural health clinic with primary care, imaging services, and other types of patient care instead.

The Medical Center of Southeast Texas in Port Arthur was closed due to a lack of patients.

Steward Health Care, which owned the facility, said one of the main reasons it closed was because the hospital was underutilized by the community.

The Kettering Health facility in Piqua, Ohio, continues to remain open but is now focused on primary care options after shutting down its emergency room facilities.

A drop in the number of emergency cases at the health facility led to the shutdown of the emergency room.

It can be difficult to cover hospital expenses, especially if you live in an area without a hospital and have to travel to find one. But there are ways you can save money to make sure you get the care you need.

For example, consider opening a high-yield savings account at your local bank or financial institution so you can build an emergency fund. That way, you won’t need to go into credit card debt to pay for unexpected medical expenses.

You can also trim your costs by contributing to a health savings account if you are eligible to do so.