Opinion: Rural hospitals face many challenges in Maine and across the country

Health care is evolving and Maine’s rural hospitals are at-risk. As the state’s population continues to decline and age, and local economies sputter, hospitals are faced with a variety of difficult decisions when it comes to keeping the doors open. Critical access hospitals, including Penobscot Valley Hospital, have been forced to balance declining revenues with service cuts, layoffs and changes to operations. We have seen hospital mergers and closures in all corners of the country.