This publication, prepared with support from the Health Resources and Services Administration, provides a high-level examination of the lived experiences of Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) that serve rural communities, particularly in the context of rural hospital financial distress and closure. Utilizing a recently conducted national assessment of rural FQHCs, it seeks to document health centers’ experiences with hospital distress and closure over the past five years and to evaluate the extent to which these centers have and can play an instrumental role in preserving access to care under these difficult circumstances. (Released in 2021)