This study is to determine the possibility for health care cooperatives in
Appalachia Ohio. It looks at the current situation in Appalachia Ohio, in terms of
employment and monies generated by the health care industry. Many of the counties in
Appalachia rely on the health care industry to generate revenue for local services and
the sustainability of local businesses. The economy in this region tends to be low
income with many just over the poverty level. The economic restrictions create unique
demands for the traditional health care system. Many rural areas cannot sustain
technologically advanced hospitals with highly skilled physicians. Lower wages and
fewer options in these rural areas cause it to be unattractive to prospective physicians.
Hospitals are not alone in the struggles of this unique environment. Nursing facilities
and home health care facilities face their own challenges. The wide region of 29 Ohio
counties that are sparsely inhabited increases the cost to those facilities to provide
services to its clients. Many of these clients are state supported, which restricts
services provided and payments collected. The health care industry has to adjust to the
demands created in Appalachia Ohio in order to remain profitable and provide quality
health care to all in need.
Some health care cooperatives have already been established in other states
and areas. This study examines these cooperatives in the different areas of health
care; hospitals, home health care services and drug purchasing cooperatives. This
study examines both the failures and successes in each of these areas. The reader is
encouraged to determine for oneself if cooperatives will become effective for Appalachia
Ohio, or alternative solutions will need to be considered.