Bringing the Rural Health Crisis Into Focus: Documentary Spotlights Dire Effects of America’s Healthcare Deserts

As hospital closures increase in rural America, it’s critical that everyone – from patients and community members to providers, health plans, local business leaders and legislators – understand the devastating impact that ripples across the areas affected. While it didn’t ultimately receive an Oscar nomination, we are thrilled to know one documentary short film in particular almost made it as a finalist for this year’s Academy Awards.

It’s called If Dreams Were Lightning: Rural Healthcare Crisis, and it’s a poignant piece casting a much-needed spotlight on the “healthcare deserts” of America’s small towns. It opens with the true story of an abandoned community hospital sitting empty. Once the center of health and life – where babies were born, injuries were healed and lives were saved – the building itself is now used by paranormal researchers who want to connect with ghosts……