A Guide to the Background, Purpose, and Scope of Critical Access Hospitals for the Surgical Trainee

This paper serves to highlight aspects of critical access hospitals (CAH) that all surgeons and trainees should understand, regardless of their current and future practice settings. Due to the unique patient population, coordination of care needs, and varied scope of practice it is vital to have knowledge of CAH inner workings from a surgical perspective. It is also useful to comprehend why CAH surgeons are integral to rural healthcare systems, especially in the setting of on-going economic strain in the postpandemic era. A general comprehension of the scope of CAH perioperative capabilities is paramount to optimizing patient care and enhancing effective communication between facilities.