Our Story

The Texas Organization of Rural & Community Hospitals (TORCH):

• PROVIDES advocacy to elected officials and governmental/regulatory entities on rural and community health issues    
  
• DEVELOPS specialized programs, education, activities and services for rural and community hospitals
  
• SUPPORTS local access and delivery of health care service to the community residents and leverages the collective power of rural                                                                 
  

​We believe there are always challenges, but new strategies will allow us to significantly enhance TORCH and its capacity to serve its members. Working as a more integrated organization, we envision the development of new services that will benefit rural hospitals, embracing everything from staff education to the funding of technological improvements. Meanwhile, we will remain the only clear voice that speaks for just rural hospitals in Texas.

We also believe that TORCH takes a place on the national stage, serving both as a model of rural hospital organization and an effective voice in our nation’s capital for rural health care here and elsewhere.  Our mission has and always will be to preserve our rural and community hospitals so that healthcare can remain local.