Hospitals in rural North Carolina have struggled to remain in business. Over the last four years, approximately 50 of them have closed. However, a small town called Beatrice has begun to attract the attention of nursing homes. In recent years several new facilities have opened. The average resident is 42, which is considerably higher than the state average of 31.
See "Hospitals Provide a Pulse in Struggling Rural Towns", Dionne Searcey, New York Times, April 28, 2015