The Legislature hereby finds and declares that:
(a)
In many areas, small, rural general acute care hospitals are experiencing financial difficulties brought upon partially because of governmental regulations and underutilization of acute care beds.
(b)
Closure of such facilities, in most cases, would represent a direct threat to the health and well-being of both the resident and tourist populations served by these facilities.
(c)
Availability and accessibility
to primary and preventive health care services could be greatly improved through coordination with existing resources in the area.
(d)
Because of the special attributes of the small, rural general acute care hospital, such as longevity, focus of community support, critical geographic location, and availability of services, such facilities could serve as the major focal point for the promotion of health and the delivery of health care services within the rural community.
(e)
There is a lack of systematic study and evaluation of the economics of efficiently operating small rural hospitals and the ways in which these hospitals might more effectively meet the health needs of their communities.