![Rick Pollack, American Hospital Association CEO and President standing in front of United States flag and the AHA seal.](/sites/default/files/2022-04/AT-Rick-Pollack-Perspective-2022-News-900x400.jpg)
Rural hospitals have been and always will be a critical part of the nation’s health care delivery system. For nearly one-in-five Americans, they offer a caring and compassionate lifeline for individuals and families who would have few health care options otherwise.