COVID-19 federal aid has kept NC's rural hospitals afloat, for now.

With fewer resources to begin with, North Carolina’s rural providers struggled financially at the first phases of the pandemic. Federal aid has kept the doors open, but with COVID cases rising in the state, advocates say more support may be needed. Federal support to rural hospitals helped some of the state’s most cash-strapped facilities through the first phases of the coronavirus pandemic, but advocates say providers will likely need more support down the line.