Twenty-six percent of rural hospitals in Texas are at risk of closure, according to a report issued late last year. So what does the future hold for these healthcare facilities and how can they adapt to keep their doors open?
Twenty-six percent of rural hospitals in Texas are at risk of closure, according to a report issued late last year by the firm Kaufman Hall. The number is up 10% from 2021 and the risk is due in part to pandemic relief money running out.
"If you have a Whole Foods, you're urban. If you have a Chick-fil-A, you're suburban. If you have a Dairy Queen, you're rural. And if you don't have a restaurant, you're frontier," president and CEO of the Texas Organization of Rural and Community Hospitals, John Henderson, said. The organization defines a rural hospital as one in a community of fewer than 60,000 people. Henderson pointed to a closure in Bowie as an example of how important hospitals are not just to a city's health care, but to its economy.
"It wasn't just that the hospital closed and you lost access and lost 100 or more good jobs. It's that local sales tax revenue dipped by a third the following year, school enrollment dropped. They went through around a teacher layoffs," he said."So you see all those cascading economic impacts that are all negative and harmful to a community."Sign up for NBC DFW newslettersDr.
For example, she pointed to an emergency room. Due to a federal law, a hospital is required to treat any patient who walks through its emergency room doors -- whether or not they can pay for services.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Lawmaker drafting bill to clarify when abortion is legalThe only legal abortion in Texas is when the life of the mother is at risk. However, some doctors question what medical conditions should be considered life threatening when considering a possible abortion.
Read more »
Houston tornado: Texas Governor Greg Abbott issues disaster declaration for Southeast TexasTexas Governor Greg Abbott has announced that he issued a disaster declaration for communities in Southeast Texas impacted by severe storms that caused damage to homes and businesses on Tuesday.
Read more »
What we know -- and still don't know -- about what led to Tyre Nichols' death | CNNIt's been almost three weeks since a traffic stop in Memphis led to a violent arrest and, three days later, the death of the 29-year-old Black driver.
Read more »
What does the future look like for the state's rural hospitals? - Texas Wants to KnowTwenty-six percent of rural hospitals in Texas are at risk of closure, according to a report issued late last year by the firm Kaufman Hall. The number is up 10% from 2021 and the risk is due in part to pandemic relief money running out. The Texas Organization of Rural and Community Hospitals defines a rural hospital as one in a community of fewer than 60,000 people. Henderson pointed to a closure in Bowie as an example of how important hospitals are not just to a city's health care, but to its economy. 'It wasn't just that the hospital closed and you lost access and lost 100 or more good jobs. It's that local sales tax revenue dipped by a third the following year, school enrollment dropped. They went through around a teacher layoffs,' TORCH president and CEO John Henderson said. 'So you see all those cascading economic impacts that are all negative and harmful to a community.' Dr. Kristie Loescher, assistant dean for instructional innovation for the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas and the academic director for the Healthcare Innovation Initiative, said one of the ways rural hospitals can make smart decisions by limiting the services it offers. For example, she pointed to an emergency room. Due to a federal law, a hospital is required to treat any patient who walks through its emergency room doors -- whether or not they can pay for services. 'In Austin or Dallas, if a hospital sees a few patients like that, they can absorb it. They can absorb the bad debt. But in a rural situation, they're living so close to the wire, they don't have that extra margin to be able to provide the amount of charity care required,' she said. Host Baylee Friday also speaks with the CEO of Muenster Memorial Hospital, Marion Bruce, about the challenges facing her hospital in recent years.
Read more »
Texas death row prisoners spend decades in solitary confinement. A lawsuit wants to end that “cruel” treatment.Men sentenced to death in Texas are held in isolation until their execution dates, with little human contact, medical care or legal help, according to a lawsuit filed to improve treatment of the condemned.
Read more »
Texas death row prisoners spend decades in solitary confinement. A lawsuit wants to end that “cruel” treatment.Texas death row prisoners filed a lawsuit Thursday arguing it’s unconstitutional to hold them in solitary confinement for years with minimal physical and mental health care and few avenues to seek legal help.
Read more »