Three years ago, Lost Rivers Medical Center opened a day care. It was temporary at first, a result of petitions from employees who couldn’t find any other child care options in Arco, Idaho, population 879. The original arrangement could only host six kids at a time, but 19 months later, in December 2023, the hospital opened a dedicated child care facility, serving up to 24 children.

CEO Brad Huerta faced questions about his choice to fund the space. Of all the things for one of the most isolated hospitals in the country to invest in, why day care? His answer was easy: It was the best option available to combat looming provider shortages.

“They’re acute everywhere,” Huerta says of the shortages, “but especially acute in rural areas.” Areas like Arco, which is more rural than the definitio

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