As rural hospitals across the United States grapple with mounting financial pressures, including anticipated Medicaid cuts and the shifting policy landscape brought on by legislation like the "Big Beautiful Bill," many are searching for stability amidst uncertainty. However, some hospitals are doing more than staying afloat, they’re growing. The difference? A strategic pivot inward, and the right partner to guide the way.

Aletheia Health Partners, a US-based hospital management and advisory firm, is leading this transformative charge, helping rural hospitals stop the financial bleed and achieve sustainable growth, regardless of the external reimbursement climate.

"At Aletheia, we challenge our partners to recognize what they can change - and then take steps to change it," says Kerry Trapnell, Chief Administrative Officer, Aletheia Health Partners. "Yes, policy and reimbursement are often out of a hospital’s control. But using those as excuses is not a strategy. We help rural hospitals focus inward. That’s where the real opportunity to grow is waiting."

Turning the Tide at Washington County Regional Medical Center

Just two years ago, Washington County Regional Medical Center (WCRMC) in Sandersville, Georgia, was facing millions in annual losses. The hospital’s ER had a reputation problem, staffing costs were ballooning due to expensive agency contracts, and morale was low.

Aletheia stepped in, initially consulting, then formally taking over management. The first move: identify and eliminate inefficiencies. Over 30 costly contract positions were either removed or consolidated, allowing the hospital to reallocate funds towards staff salary increases and new services. Aletheia helped recruit new surgical specialists, introduced a nuclear medicine program, and brought in a new CT scanner and MRI.

Just as crucially, they engaged with community leaders and regained local trust. This engagement resulted in a $15.5 million bond from Washington County in 2024, now fueling a new Emergency Department and hospital renovations.

"When Aletheia started working with Washington, the facility could not overcome its growing accounts payable and had almost no cash," said Trapnell. "Today, WCRMC is not only surviving—it’s thriving, adding advanced equipment, services and providers, while also breaking ground on major facility upgrades."

Revitalizing Revenue in Monroe County

Monroe County Hospital in Forsyth, Georgia, offers a powerful example of how targeted strategic interventions can transform hospital operations. Facing stagnant census numbers in its swing bed program, which is a vital revenue stream for Critical Access Hospitals, Monroe partnered with Aletheia in fall 2023.

Through strategic data analysis, Aletheia identified  an increase of just a few patients per day could yield significant financial gains. They implemented targeted marketing to referring hospitals and improved intake protocols to increase patient flow.

"In swing bed care, every staff interaction is a touchpoint that either builds or breaks trust," says Trapnell, who also served as Monroe’s interim CEO for a short period of time.  "We focused on building a high-touch culture across all departments, not only clinical staff, to elevate the patient experience."

The result? Monroe’s average daily swing bed census rose from 11.0 to 14.2 patients in the first year with a 29% increase, and to 15.5 after 18 months, an impactful 40% jump. Expanded clinical capabilities now allow the hospital to serve more complex cases, further increasing revenue and length of stay.

Revenue Cycle Management

In addition to hospital management services, Aletheia offers revenue cycle management, more commonly referred to as RCM. 

“All hospitals don’t need full hospital management,” said Trapnell. “We have clients with tremendous revenue improvements through focused RCM efforts. One element hospitals like is our team is fully US based and experienced in rural hospital revenue cycle management. ”  

Two examples of the impact streamlined RCM with the Aletheia team include: 

• In just 90 days, Aletheia increased cash collections on old claims by over $600,000 at a fraction of the cost to a rural Georgia hospital

• At another rural hospital, Aletheia helped recover enough cash in old Medicaid claims in the first two weeks to fully cover our services for over four months

Looking Inward for Solutions

While many rural hospitals remain focused on external pressures such as state funding, federal policy shifts, and shrinking reimbursements, Aletheia encourages a different mindset.

"The ebb and flow of Medicaid and Medicare will always exist," says Trapnell. "But hospitals that turn their focus inward and look at operational excellence, community trust, and sustainable service delivery are the ones that thrive."

Aletheia Health Partners’ US-based modules, including Revenue Cycle Management (RCM), pharmacy, HR, and full operational management, are built for the rural context. Their record shows with strategic vision and boots-on-the-ground execution, growth isn’t just possible, it’s repeatable.

A Path Forward

At a time when hundreds of rural hospitals are at risk of closure, the stories of Washington County Regional Medical Center and Monroe County Hospital provide a roadmap for others.

"We're not just consultants. We roll up our sleeves and get to work," says Trapnell. "Rural hospitals deserve a future. And with the right support, they can build one."

For more information about Aletheia Health Partners and how they support rural and community hospitals, visit aletheiahp.com.