West Virginia had largely dodged the hospital closures afflicting rural America—but not anymore. A hospital in northern WV closed last month, & another in Mingo Co is set to shut down on 4/21. For @HuffPost, I wrote about WV's emerging hospital crisis: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/west-virginia-hospital-closures-coronavirus_n_5e908257c5b63e73d7e3b5e3

WVU Medicine will build a new hospital to replace the recently closed one in Fairmont, but that may take 2 years.
In Williamson, a local clinic is bidding to take over the hospital, but deal doesn't close until 4/30, & it still needs to land a partner to run the hospital itself.

The story focuses largely on Mingo Co & the clinic's efforts to save the hospital. @walkyourcamera grew up there, & I'm honored to have my words accompanied by his photographs. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/west-virginia-hospital-closures-coronavirus_n_5e908257c5b63e73d7e3b5e3

Great thread here from @oliviacpaschal, who has been doing a great job covering the challenges facing rural hospitals, especially in the South, & how the pandemic has amplified them. https://twitter.com/oliviacpaschal/status/1249733107118477312?s=20