PERCEIVED CAUSES AND EFFECTS OF CLOSING A RURAL HOSPITAL

Hospital closure, a devastating event in the life of small communities , can have far-reaching economic, medical, and psychological effects. Two hundred residents of a rural North Dakota county were selected via systematic random sampling to share their perceptions on the causes a nd consequences of closing their local hospital. Respondents perceived closure as primarily caused by town's poor management and inability t o retain physicians. Area residents reported most concern with future adverse economic ramifications and insufficient access to emergency me dical care.