These hospital closures are widespread across more than 20 states. According to the North Carolina Rural Health Research Program: "673 additional rural hospitals [mainly in the Southeast] will be vulnerable to closures across 42 states."

The majority are considered "critical access" hospitals, meaning there is no other hospital within 35 miles, and the majority are in the southern part of the United States. Most are closed due to a lack of funding to meet local needs, and most are in states that did not expand Medicaid funding to meet the healthcare needs of their population after the passage of the Affordable Care Act. They are also in places with high health disparities that are connected to geography, income, and race.