What should be the scope of a health network's obligation to respond after a hospital closure?

Abstract

As rural hospital closures become more common, many patients are left without sources of care, raising ethical questions about hospitals' and clinicians' responsibilities during and after closures. In many cases, such as the one considered in this article, hospitals have been economic hubs of some communities for many years and are obliged to consider short-term and long-term consequences of closures on community life. This commentary suggests that health networks can help communities transition to new service locations when they partner with community members to identify and respond to remaining gaps in access to and delivery of needed health care services.