“Rural healthcare organizations have emerged from COVID and managed to level off the staffing problem. But expenses are mounting, so they’re focusing on revenue-generating activities, like optimizing reimbursements,” said Kelly Arduino, a partner in Wipfli’s healthcare consulting practice.
Nathan Sundheimer, a digital strategist for Wipfli, commented on the cybersecurity findings. “We’ve been talking about cyber for several years, but the dramatic increase in attacks over the last 12 months has hit home.”
Fewer rural healthcare leaders said staffing was a significant challenge, and more organizations felt their workforce situation had improved over the prior year.
With labor and other costs mounting, rural healthcare organizations are concerned about revenue. Training on reimbursement optimization topped the list of continuing education needs for the coming year.
The number of rural healthcare organizations reporting unauthorized network breaches doubled from our survey results last year. Not surprisingly, leaders are investing in
cybersecurity.
Covered in the full report
This year’s report provides a comprehensive analysis of the rural healthcare industry’s concerns, priorities and opportunities:
- Cybersecurity stands out: The rate of cyberattacks on rural hospitals and clinics has doubled in the past year. In 2023 and 2024, only about half of respondents had a high level of concern regarding cyberattacks. This year, 65% of leaders said cybersecurity was a top concern, and investments in network security initiatives are increasing.
- Workforce shortage eases: Most respondents said their staffing situation is better than it was a year ago.
- Reimbursement concerns intensify: Optimizing service reimbursements has been a priority for several years, but it’s particularly intense heading into 2025. Compared to last year’s survey, nearly twice as many respondents said reimbursements were a top concern, and nearly three times as many said managed care denials were a major worry.
- Thoughts on the future: Wipfli’s healthcare and digital consultants provide rich context to the survey findings, delving into what the new data and trends mean for the future. AI tools and digital applications show great promise for enhancing efficiency and service delivery amid continued labor shortages. Continued investment in data security is also an imperative.
- Appendix with full data: The appendix offers a detailed breakdown of responses from the national survey, providing nuanced insights into the rural healthcare industry’s priorities and challenges. Dive into the raw data to uncover trends and metrics to inform your strategies.
Access the full report for a deeper analysis and a detailed breakdown of all the data. For media inquiries, contact Alicia O’Connell at alicia.oconnell@wipfli.com.
Download the full report
