Rural hospitals do more with less in difficult times
Rural hospitals do more with less in difficult times
PLANO, Texas, July 18, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Community Hospital Corporation (CHC) CEO Jim Kendrick and Yoakum Community Hospital CEO Karen Barber were featured on a recent episode of Rural Matters, a podcast that features issues important to Rural America.
The episode covers issues faced by rural hospitals including:
- Cuts to Medicaid reimbursement
- Residents who are older and sicker than those in urban areas
- Physician recruitment.
These challenges and others mean rural hospitals are constantly trying to do more with less to remain in place as a safety net for their communities.
Listen to the podcast now at http://ruralmatters.libsyn.com/.
“The wellbeing of rural Americans depends largely on access to quality health services,” Kendrick explained. “Many rural hospitals are struggling and 85 have closed across the country. The hospital closures have reduced access to medical care for thousands of Americans. We are pleased that Rural Matters has created a platform for us to share this important issue with a broader audience.”
“Rural hospitals are innovating and partnering to remain viable,” Barber said.
In the podcast Barber explained that Yoakum Community Hospital, a 25-bed critical access hospital in Texas, reaches out to nearby metropolitan areas to secure specialty physician coverage at their specialty clinic.
Yoakum’s hospital is critical to its community. A key point made in the episode is that hospitals are also an important economic driver and often the largest employer in a rural community. The success or failure of these organizations also impacts a community’s ability to attract and retain residents and businesses.
“We appreciate the insight provided by CHC and Yoakum Community Hospital about the challenges of providing health services in rural America,” said Rural Matters host Mara Casey Tieken.
About
Community Hospital Corporation owns, manages and consults with hospitals through three distinct organizations - CHC Hospitals, CHC Consulting and CHC ContinueCARE, which share a common purpose of preserving and protecting community hospitals. Visit https://communityhospitalcorp.com/.
Yoakum Community Hospital is a 25-bed Critical Access Hospital located in Yoakum, Texas, which has been serving the community of 6,000 since 1922. Visit https://yoakumhospital.org/.
Rural Matters’ 30-minute podcasts focus on rural health, education and business, creating awareness and dialogue on important issues facing rural America. Visit http://ruralmatters.libsyn.com/.
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SOURCE Community Hospital Corporation
