Latest news with #RuralEmergency
Yahoo
19-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Trinity's only hospital announces closure citing financial problems
TRINITY, Texas (KETK) – The Mid Coast Health System has announced that Mid Coast Medical Center in Trinity will cease operations starting on April 25 following months of financial instability. 19 measles cases reported in Upshur County, here's what we know 'Despite our team's tireless work to restore services in Trinity, we are simply unable to continue operations under the current financial circumstances,' CEO of Mid Coast Health System, Brett Kirkham said. 'This is a deeply painful decision for all of us especially in consideration of the local commitment from the staff to serve patients in the Trinity community.' According to Trinity Memorial Hospital District board president Marjory Pulvino, Mid Coast Medical Center is Trinity County's only hospital. Pulvino said that once the hospital closes, the next nearest hospital will be in Huntsville, which is over 20 miles away in Walker County. According to a Friday press release from Mid Coast Health System, their Trinity center is facing the same problems that many rural hospitals are. Mid Coast cited delays in Medicare and Medicare billing, commercial insurance contract delays, lower than expected revenue from patient co-pays, increasing costs of supplies and insufficient local tax revenue as setbacks their hospital faced. Mid Coast Health System said the hospital had closed before in 2017 and they had hoped to receive the Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) designation, which would secure additional funding for the hospital from the federal government. However, the hospital was reportedly not operational by the time the REH eligibility cutoff happened in Dec. 2020. 'We strongly believe that if Mid Coast Medical Center Trinity were eligible for REH status, it would thrive and continue to meet the community's emergency and outpatient healthcare needs,' Kirkham said. 'We are urging our elected officials to support a waiver that would allow the Trinity hospital to access this critical support for a potential reopening in the future.' Mid Coast encouraged the community to contact U.S. Senators for Texas John Cornyn and Ted Cruz, along with U.S. Representative Pete Sessions, in order to advocate for the hospital to get a waiver allowing them to qualify for the REH designation. 'This is a call to action for the Trinity community, our leader and our nation to recognize the unique challenges rural hospitals face and to fight for solutions that keep care close to home,' Kirkham concluded. Pulvino said the Trinity Memorial Hospital District Board of Directors was 'very disappointed' to learn about the closure but reassured the community that they're working to find a new hospital system to take over the hospital and emergency room. 'The board wants the community to know that the Board is working diligently to find a quality hospital system to take over the hospital and ER operations, and at this time is in discussion with a reputable hospital system,' Pulvino said. 'In addition we are in discussion with other groups to continue high quality services at the clinic. We agree that the Rural Emergency Hospital designation would be the ideal solution.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Arrington introduces bills to aid rural hospitals, expand telehealth in America
U.S. Rep. Jodey Arrington this week announced effort he says are aimed at fighting to ensure all Americans in rural communities have access to critical healthcare resources. Arrington, a Lubbock Republican who serves as chairman of the House Budget Committee, filed two bills with bipartisan support that would change how rural citizens access healthcare and how their infrastructure is allowed to stay open. Others are reading: Lubbock ISD Trustees deny removing book from elementary for same-sex couple image Named The Telehealth Expansion Act, the bill would allow over 32 million Americans with High-Deductible Health Plans paired with Health Savings Accounts to access telehealth services before reaching the burden of meeting a deductible. The bill will allow this expansion in coverage by amending wording in the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, which has already received the support of U.S. Rep. Susie Lee, D-NV, and U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider, D-IL. "In 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic swept across our nation, Congress wisely passed a law enabling high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) to waive or lower consumers' out-of-pocket payments for telehealth services before they reach their deductible," Schneider said. "That flexibility expired at the end of 2024, which is why I'm proud to support the Telehealth Expansion Act to restore critical access to telehealth for millions of Americans.' The Telehealth Expansion Act has also gotten the backing of notable healthcare industry leaders, such asChris Adamec, executive director of Alliance for Connected Care, and Katy Johnson, president of American Benefits Council. The second bill Arrington introduced would bring back critical emergency and outpatient care to rural communities whose local hospitals closed by converting to a Rural Emergency Hospital. Called the The Second Chances for Rural Hospitals Act, the proposal would expand eligibility requirements by allowing hospitals that have been closed since 2014 to become a Rural Emergency Hospital and receive the additional funding included with the designation. For context, Congress created the REH designation in 2020 that allows low-volume rural hospitals at risk of closure to eliminate underused inpatient beds but keep needed emergency and outpatient services The bill is cosponsored by Rep. Jill Tokuda, D-HI, and Rep. John Rose, R-TN, with the backing of Alan Morgan, CEO of the National Rural Health Association and the Texas Organization of Rural & Community Hospitals. According to TORCH, there have been no closures of rural hospitals in Texas since 2020. Before 2020, around three rural hospitals in Texas closed every year since 2015. 'TORCH supports the Second Chances for Rural Hospitals Act and applauds Congressman Arrington's leadership on this issue. At least two rural Texas communities lost their hospitals and need this legislation to restore access to local health services," said John Henderson, President and CEO of TORCH. Mateo Rosiles is the Government & Public Policy reporter for the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. Got a news tip for him? Email him at mrosiles@ This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Arrington introduces bills to aid rural hospitals, expand telehealth
