What is a requirement for a hospital to be certified as a Critical Access Hospital?

The requirement for a hospital to be certified as a Critical Access Hospital is that it must have no more than 25 acute care inpatient beds. This criterion is set forth to ensure that these facilities remain focused on providing essential healthcare services to rural communities. The designation as a Critical Access Hospital allows them to receive cost-based reimbursement from Medicare, which is vital for their financial sustainability.

This bed limit helps to differentiate Critical Access Hospitals from larger acute care facilities, ensuring they maintain a community-oriented approach while still being equipped to handle various medical needs. By keeping the patient capacity lower, these hospitals can offer personalized care and have more flexibility in meeting the unique healthcare demands of rural populations.

In contrast, the other options listed do not align with the specific criteria for this designation. Specialized care services, location in a metropolitan area, and the requirement to offer outpatient surgery services do not constitute essential conditions for certification. The focus is primarily on the bed capacity and the rural nature of the hospital.