Phoebe Spotlights 340B Program in First-of-its-Kind Rural Health Report
Albany, GA | August 5, 2026 – Phoebe Putney Health System today announced the launch of the Rural Health Report, a new public information series spotlighting healthcare challenges and solutions in underserved rural areas like southwest Georgia. The first edition takes a look at Phoebe’s 340B drug program and the range of services it helps fund to broaden access to care for vulnerable patients.
The state of healthcare in rural areas of the U.S. has emerged as a major issue in recent years. More than 100 community hospitals have closed across the country over the past decade, while countless others have slashed inpatient units or other service lines amid financial challenges, leaving patients with dwindling options for receiving care. A new report from the Center for Healthcare Quality & Payment Reform estimates that more than 700 rural hospitals, or one in three across the country, are at risk of closing due to extreme financial pressures.
These financial challenges underline the importance of the 340B program, a federal initiative that has come under scrutiny despite not relying on taxpayer funds. Phoebe’s 340B program savings help fund several important programs that enable it to fulfill its nonprofit mission, help patients manage their chronic conditions, and prevent unnecessary and costly hospitalizations. It also plays a key role in helping Phoebe provide free or discounted care – $64.5 million in fiscal year 2025, equal to 5.7% of its operating revenue – to those who are unable to pay. The new Rural Health Report spotlights several key initiatives made possible by 340B:
- Medication Management Clinic, opened in 2023
- Intensive Outpatient Care Program, opened in 2024 with the goal of preventing ER visits
- Expanded Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
- Expanded Behavioral Health staffing and services
“For Phoebe, 340B is much more than a drug purchasing program – it’s a patient access program,” said Darren Evans, PharmD, Vice President of Hospital Operations and System Pharmacy Services at Phoebe. “The savings generated from 340B allow us to reinvest resources directly into targeted services that improve care for vulnerable patients who would otherwise fall through the cracks of a fragmented healthcare system.”