Missouri rural hospital losses continue
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Missouri is the 18th largest state by population, with 161 licensed hospitals statewide.
In rural counties, their numbers are dropping.
According to the Department of Health and Senior Services, 12 Missouri hospitals in rural counties closed from 2014 to 2023.
"Minutes can mean the difference between life and death," said Heidi Lucas, executive director for the Missouri Rural Healthcare Association. "If we lose more rural hospitals, which is a possibility, it's just going to become worse, and it's going to be a lot harder to continue to live in those rural areas if they don't have the services that are needed."
Since 2019, Mid-Missouri has lost at least three hospitals in rural counties such as Callaway, Audrain and Cooper. Boone Health has started the process of getting a hospital back into Audrain County, which residents and health care professionals in Mexico say is desperately needed.
"We really do need a hospital here in town," said Mexico resident Angie Secrease. "Now you've got to drive to Jefferson City or you've got to drive to Columbia, it's a 40-minute drive. Sometimes when you're going to the ER, you're waiting there for five or six hours."
Rural hospitals can be classified as small rural hospitals, critical access hospitals and rural emergency hospitals.
Small rural hospitals
A small rural hospital is a hospital with no more than 49 available beds. These are small rural, non-federal hospitals that provide short-term and general acute care to communities. These hospitals can be for-profit, not-for-profit or tribal organizations.
Bates County Memorial Hospital in Butler, Cameron Regional Medical Center Inc. in Clinton County, Golden Valley Memorial Healthcare in Henry County and Moberly Regional Medical Center in Randolph County are some of the hospitals classified as small rural hospitals.
Critical access hospitals
A critical access hospital has at most 25 beds, must be more than 35 miles away from another hospital, and provides a limited scope of essential services to rural communities, like general acute care. They also must have an average length of stay of no more than 96 hours. These hospitals provide 24-hour emergency care.
Missouri has 35 critical access hospitals, 31 of which are located in rural counties.
Eligible hospitals are designated by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to lessen the financial vulnerability of rural hospitals, using a cost-based Medicare reimbursement method.
Rural emergency hospitals
A rural emergency hospital is a relatively new classification, starting in January 2023, according to Heidi Lucas with the Missouri Rural Health Association. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services created the designation of rural emergency hospitals to maintain access to critical outpatient services in communities that may not be able to support a small rural hospital or a critical access hospital.
Rural emergency hospitals are required to provide 24-hour emergency and observation services and can choose to provide other outpatient services.
These hospitals receive enhanced Medicare payments for certain outpatient services and additional monthly payments. Hospitals that were eligible for conversion to rural emergency hospitals include critical access hospitals and rural acute care hospitals with 50 or fewer beds that were open on Dec. 27, 2020, or after. Facilities that close after Dec. 27, 2020, are eligible to reopen as a rural emergency hospital if they meet the conditions of participation.
There is one rural emergency hospital in Missouri -- Parkland Health Center in Bonne Terre.
Watch ABC 17 News at 10 on Wednesday to learn more about how locals are working to get a hospital back in Audrain County.
