areas is likely attributable in large part to a combination of response time to the scene and distance to the nearest emergency room to stabilize trauma victims. (10) The percentage of trauma deaths occurring in rural areas could continue to increase as more rural hospitals close, further limiting access to emergency services and requiring patients to travel longer distances to receive emergency medical care. (11) The creation of a rural emergency hospital designation under the Medicare program will allow facilities in rural areas to provide emergency medical services without having to maintain inpatient beds. (12) In addition to providing emergency care, rural emergency hospitals could convert the space previously used for inpatient services to provide other medical services including, but not limited to, observation care, skilled nursing facility care, infusion services, hemodialysis, home health, hospice, nursing home care, population health, and telemedicine services. 3. Rural emergency hospital program (a) In general (1) Rural emergency hospital and services defined Section 1861 of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1395x ) is amended— (A) in subsection (e), in the last sentence of the matter following paragraph (9), by inserting or a rural emergency hospital (as defined in section 1861(jjj)(1)) before the period at the end