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Health Care

Critical Condition

Investigating the Business of Oklahoma’s Rural Hospitals

Rural communities desperate to save their hospitals are turning to for-profit companies for help, but many fail to deliver on lofty promises and leave them with more debt.

5 stories published since 2020
An illustration of a doctor navigating a maze made of $100 dollar bills.

How the CARES Act Forgot America’s Most Vulnerable Hospitals

by Brianna Bailey, The Frontier,

She Needed Lifesaving Medication, but the Only Hospital in Town Did Not Have It

by Brianna Bailey, The Frontier, and Maya Miller, ProPublica,

These Hospitals Pinned Their Hopes on Private Management Companies. Now They’re Deeper in Debt.

by Brianna Bailey, The Frontier,

The Only Hospital in Town Was Failing. They Promised to Help but Only Made It Worse.

by Brianna Bailey, The Frontier,

This Hospital Has Only 8 Nurses. They Are Also the Janitors.

by Brianna Bailey, The Frontier,

What We’re Watching

During Donald Trump’s second presidency, ProPublica will focus on the areas most in need of scrutiny. Here are some of the issues our reporters will be watching — and how to get in touch with them securely.

Learn more about our reporting team. We will continue to share our areas of interest as the news develops.

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Sharon Lerner

I cover health and the environment and the agencies that govern them, including the Environmental Protection Agency.

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Andy Kroll

I cover justice and the rule of law, including the Justice Department, U.S. attorneys and the courts.

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Melissa Sanchez

I report on immigration and labor, and I am based in Chicago.

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Jesse Coburn

I cover housing and transportation, including the companies working in those fields and the regulators overseeing them.

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