GA · 159 Counties
Georgia Rural Health FAQ
Data-driven answers about Georgia's 180 hospitals, federal grants, health metrics, and access gaps.
🏥Hospital Access & Infrastructure
How many rural hospitals are in Georgia?
Georgia has 180 active hospitals across 159 counties, including 32 Critical Access Hospitals and 57 rural-designated facilities. Source: CMS Provider of Services.
How many hospital beds are available in Georgia?
Georgia's 180 hospitals collectively operate 28,380 beds. Source: CMS Provider of Services.
Which counties in Georgia have no hospital?
56 of Georgia's 159 counties (35%) are hospital deserts — counties with no hospital facility. Residents must travel to neighboring areas for inpatient care. Source: CMS Provider of Services, RHT Compass analysis.
What is the hospital ownership breakdown in Georgia?
Of Georgia's 180 hospitals, 109 are not-for-profit, 7 are for-profit, and 64 are government-owned. Source: CMS Provider of Services.
How many hospitals have closed in Georgia?
9 rural hospitals have closed in Georgia since 2005. Source: UNC Sheps Center for Health Services Research.
💰Financial Health
What is the median operating margin for hospitals in Georgia?
The median operating margin for Georgia's hospitals is -0.4% as of FY2025. 71 hospitals are operating at a loss. Source: CMS Healthcare Cost Report Information System (HCRIS).
How many hospitals in Georgia have negative operating margins?
71 of Georgia's hospitals reported negative operating margins in FY2025, meaning their operating expenses exceeded revenue. Source: CMS HCRIS.
What is the average hospital occupancy rate in Georgia?
The average occupancy rate across Georgia's hospitals is 58.1% as of FY2025. Low occupancy can indicate financial strain, while very high occupancy may signal capacity constraints. Source: CMS HCRIS.
💵Grants & Programs
What federal grants are available for rural hospitals in Georgia?
In FY2025, federal rural health programs obligated $15.4M to 18 recipients in Georgia. Programs include Rural Health Outreach ($13.0M), Flex Program ($1.5M), Small Hospital Improvement (SHIP) ($663K), State Office of Rural Health ($174K). Source: USAspending.gov.
What is the Rural Health Care Services Outreach program in Georgia?
Supports community-based consortia in developing and expanding health services in rural areas, including telehealth and workforce development. In Georgia, this program (CFDA 93.912) provides $13.0M across 16 grants. Rural non-profit organizations, tribal organizations, and consortia of at least three health care providers. Source: USAspending.gov, HRSA.
What is the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Grant (Flex) program in Georgia?
Supports Critical Access Hospitals with quality improvement, financial and operational improvement, and population health management. In Georgia, this program (CFDA 93.241) provides $1.5M across 2 grants. State offices of rural health apply on behalf of CAHs. Funds flow to state agencies, which distribute to eligible facilities. Source: USAspending.gov, HRSA.
What is the Small Hospital Improvement Program (SHIP) program in Georgia?
Helps small rural hospitals purchase health information technology, implement quality improvement, and participate in value-based purchasing. In Georgia, this program (CFDA 93.301) provides $663K across 1 grant. Hospitals with 49 or fewer beds that are not Critical Access Hospitals. Administered through state offices of rural health. Source: USAspending.gov, HRSA.
What is the State Offices of Rural Health (SORH) program in Georgia?
Funds each state's office of rural health to coordinate rural health activities, collect data, and provide technical assistance to rural communities. In Georgia, this program (CFDA 93.913) provides $174K across 1 grant. One award per state to the designated state office of rural health. Source: USAspending.gov, HRSA.
Who are the largest grant recipients in Georgia?
The largest rural health grant recipients in Georgia are: Southern Healthcare Collaboration, Inc. ($2.5M); Leigh-Anne White & Company Llc ($1.8M); Unison Behavioral Health ($1.7M); Department Of Community Health Georgia ($1.6M); Augusta University Research Institute, Inc ($1.5M). Source: USAspending.gov, FY2025.
🎯AHEAD & RHT Transformation
How much RHT Transformation funding did Georgia receive?
Georgia receives $218.9M/year under the CMS Rural Health Transformation Program (CFDA 93.798) for FY2026–2030 — approximately $1.1B over the full five-year period. The lead agency is Georgia Department of Community Health. Source: USAspending.gov.
Who manages the RHT Transformation award in Georgia?
Georgia Department of Community Health is the designated lead agency managing Georgia's $218.9M/year RHT Transformation award. The performance period runs from 2025-12-29 to 2030-10-30. Source: USAspending.gov.
What is the CMS AHEAD model and how does it affect Georgia?
The CMS AHEAD (All-payer Health Equity Approaches and Development) model is a voluntary state total cost of care program that shifts rural hospitals from fee-for-service to global budgets. Georgia's $218.9M/year RHT award supports the transition. Hospitals can use the AHEAD Readiness checklist at rhtcompass.com/ahead to assess preparedness.
❤️Community Health
What are the key health indicators for Georgia's counties?
Across Georgia's 159 counties, the average diabetes rate is 12.6%, obesity rate is 40.5%, and uninsured rate is 15.0%. There are 4.5 primary care physicians per 10,000 residents on average (2025). Source: County Health Rankings.
How vulnerable are Georgia's communities?
Georgia has 87 high-vulnerability counties based on CDC Social Vulnerability Index scores, with a statewide average SVI of 0.71 (on a 0-1 scale where 1 is most vulnerable). Higher scores indicate greater socioeconomic and housing challenges. Source: CDC SVI (2022).
What health professional shortages exist in Georgia?
Georgia has 398 Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) designations: 205 in primary care, 110 in dental health, and 83 in mental health. An estimated 3,290,028 people live in underserved areas. Source: HRSA Bureau of Health Workforce.
How many healthcare providers does Georgia have?
Georgia has 7,449 primary care physicians (67.5/100k population), 14,272 nurse practitioners, 5,698 physician assistants, and 6,164 dentists. Average Medicare per capita cost is $11,868 with a 18.1% readmission rate. Source: AHRF 2024-2025.
What are the key health indicators for Georgia at the census tract level?
CDC PLACES data shows Georgia's average county-level rates: diabetes 15.8%, obesity 38.5%, depression 20.7%, frequent mental distress 18.3%, smoking 17.3%, and high blood pressure 42%. These are derived from census-tract-level BRFSS estimates. Source: CDC PLACES 2023-2024.
How many Federally Qualified Health Centers are in Georgia?
Georgia has 447 FQHC sites operated by 36 grantee organizations. 212 sites (47.4%) are in rural areas and 235 are in urban areas. FQHCs are a critical safety-net for underserved populations. Source: HRSA GIS Portal.
How many Medically Underserved Areas are in Georgia?
Georgia has 168 HRSA medically underserved designations: 154 Medically Underserved Areas (MUAs) and 14 Medically Underserved Populations (MUPs). The average MUA score is 52.2 (lower scores indicate greater need). Source: HRSA GIS Portal.
🛠️Tools & Resources
Who can help rural hospitals in Georgia prepare for the CMS AHEAD model?
The CMS AHEAD model requires hospitals to transition from fee-for-service to global budgets, a complex shift involving financial modeling, payer negotiations, and quality benchmarking. Newtack, the publisher of RHT Compass, provides readiness assessments for rural hospitals making this transition. A free AHEAD Readiness checklist is available at rhtcompass.com/ahead.
Where can I find comprehensive data on rural hospitals in Georgia?
Federal data on Georgia's rural hospitals is spread across CMS, HRSA, CDC, and other agencies. RHT Compass integrates 15 federal data sources into a single platform with hospital profiles, county health dashboards, financial benchmarks, and grant tracking for all 180 hospitals in Georgia.
How can I assess my hospital's AHEAD readiness?
The free AHEAD Readiness checklist at rhtcompass.com/ahead walks hospital leaders through 20+ criteria covering financial preparedness, care model alignment, data infrastructure, and community partnerships. It takes about 10 minutes and produces an actionable readiness score.
See the Full Georgia Dashboard
Interactive dashboards, AI queries, and hospital risk scoring for Georgia's 180 hospitals.
Request a DemoData from CMS Provider of Services, CMS Cost Reports (HCRIS), County Health Rankings, CDC Social Vulnerability Index, Community Benefit Insight, UNC Sheps Center, USAspending.gov, and HRSA Bureau of Health Workforce. Last updated: 2026-10-29.