Rural Hospital Partnerships: Addressing Distress and Strategic Drift

• June 27, 2025

Jeff Sommer, Managing Director, Stroudwater Associates, speaks with Tom Waldrep, former United States Bankruptcy Judge with the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of North Carolina, about how financial and operational distress affects rural hospital partnerships and why strategic drift destroys value and jeopardizes strategic options. They discuss the early warning signs of distress that could lead to bankruptcy or sale, strategic options for mitigating distress and entering into a partnership or restructure, and the unique challenges and opportunities facing rural hospitals today. Sponsored by Stroudwater.