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Post by ten&rose on Jul 15, 2014 0:52:07 GMT
Ok so I have never ever asked for votes or signatures for anything in 10 years as a pea/refupea but I am begging for your help tonight. www.saveourhospital.org/sign The link is to a petition to save the hospital in the small town DH is from. The population is poor and or elderly and was closed 1 July. The area is very rural and with the hospital's closure some citizens are now 84 miles away from emergency care. There has been one death already due to waiting an hour for medivac for a heart attack. The mayor of Belhaven, NC is walking the 275 miles to Washington DC over the next two weeks and will be interviewed on MSNBC at 10 pm EST if anyone wants to tune in. He's doing it to raise awareness of the rural health care crisis in the country. At any rate, would you please sign the petition please. You don't have to register and you only have to put your name. Thanks so much. |
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Post by megop on Jul 15, 2014 1:02:52 GMT
This is so sad. And even more sad, industry trend analysis indicates that nearly 1000 more critical access rural hospitals will close over the next 10 years.
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Post by karen on Jul 15, 2014 1:10:35 GMT
I signed it. Hope they are able to work it out! Good luck.
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Post by mama2three on Jul 15, 2014 1:10:38 GMT
Very sad. My cousin recently finished her medical training and is now the only pediatrician in 3 counties (or will be when the elderly doctor she's taking over for retires in a couple of months). It's so hard to envision the rural health care crisis when here in suburbia we literally have 5 major hospitals within 15 miles and several more in the city 40 min away. Most people don't think about emergency medical facilities until they are desperately in need of care.
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Post by megop on Jul 15, 2014 1:15:10 GMT
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Post by megop on Jul 15, 2014 1:18:43 GMT
You might find this interesting as well.While other positive things such as the embrace of telemedicine is being shored up and encouraged to rural areas, make no mistake, patient access and working through that consumer navigation will change for all of us eventually.
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Post by elaine on Jul 15, 2014 1:36:23 GMT
It sounds like one of the biggest problems is the state of NC's refusal to expand Medicaid, turning away a huge amount of federal funding. Why is the mayor walking to DC rather than Raleigh? It seems like a state issue rather than a federal one, so I am confused. What am I missing? Why shouldn't pressure be put on the state government, rather than federal, to solve this?
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Post by megop on Jul 15, 2014 1:50:27 GMT
It's a mixture of both Elaine. Medicaid Expansion not passage is just one piece. In the Becker's article I linked, future plans are to take away Critical Access increased medicaid/medicare higher reimbursement payouts altogether eventually. Basically, leaving critical access hospitals to operate on the same playing field as urban centers who have a better payor mix and more access to revenue generating services to compensate for the underinsured/self pay population, found in much of rural america. |
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Post by megop on Jul 15, 2014 1:54:35 GMT
Couple that with a decrease in bad debt reimbursement within medicaid/medicare as well.....and....it goes on. Non-profit hospitals to remain viable, need to have a 4 to 6% profit margin to reinvest in themselves to just maintain. That doesn't cover increases in demands for electronic medical record requirements and increased quality measure reporting, also hitting reimbursement levels from CMS.
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Post by megop on Jul 15, 2014 1:58:01 GMT
While there are some answers within states such as easing limitations for Advance Practice Nursing care for primary care and the advancing of eHealth visits, it's the Urgent/Emergent access factor that is truly alarming for rural communities. ETA: Medicaid/Medicare reimbursement levels are determined at a federal level, with several modifiers to take in population health factors within state geographical areas. That's why the march to D.C. |
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Post by megop on Jul 15, 2014 2:08:24 GMT
And it's true, to lose the economic factor of a hospital in a rural community, is also economically devastating to that community. Jobs lost. Little access to industry to replace wages...it can kill an an entire community for sure. ETA: So even more services are lost not only within health care, but those serving the community such as restaurants, delivery services, dry cleaners etc....it is completely sad. |
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Post by mikklynn on Jul 15, 2014 2:16:23 GMT
I signed it. I feel so blessed to have access to 3 different highly rated medical facilities.
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Post by flanz on Jul 15, 2014 2:18:19 GMT
I just saw the tail end of Lawrence O'Donnell interviewing that mayor. I'll go sign. This is a disgusting and reprehensible trend! Coming from Canada, I still hate the fact that health care is a for-profit business in here.
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Post by megop on Jul 15, 2014 2:27:09 GMT
Again, even non-profit entities, have to make a profit to reinvest into facilities, technology and equipment to maintain what they have. If it's a zero balance venture, then there is no maintenance or improvement.
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Post by ten&rose on Jul 15, 2014 2:28:40 GMT
I'll admit to not completely understanding the entire situation (I don't live there). However, they hospital was a private run and was doing ok breaking even. Vident health came in and bought it up and was going to close it down and send everyone 30 min away for emergency care and just operate a clinic in Belhaven. Then somehow the federal government got involved and it stayed open. MIL is helping to lead the committee to save the hospital and there seems that the small group of people who own the lease to the hospital are refusing to cooperate. The town and Vident came up with a plan to maintain emergency services there. However the lease/owner group refused and it closed. One woman in her 40s has already died waiting for transport in the 2 weeks it's been closed.
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Post by megop on Jul 15, 2014 2:29:47 GMT
And health care workers deserve cost of living wages as well. You don't make a profit...there is no increase. So to vilify "for profit" be careful in spreading that messaging to others who may not understand, that it is certainly necessary for non-profit hospitals to indeed, make a "profit."
That "profit" doesn't go into anyone's pocket, it goes back into capital expenditure for the next year.
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Post by doesitmatter on Jul 15, 2014 2:29:58 GMT
Done.
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Post by elaine on Jul 15, 2014 2:31:20 GMT
And it's true, to lose the economic factor of a hospital in a rural community, is also economically devastating to that community. Jobs lost. Little access to industry to replace wages...it can kill an an entire community for sure. ETA: So even more services are lost not only within health care, but those serving the community such as restaurants, delivery services, dry cleaners etc....it is completely sad. I agree that it is a tragedy, Tracey, on many levels. And I am all for re opening the hospital. While federal regulations have an impact, so do the State's. I guess I still don't understand why the expectation isn't first for North Carolina to financially fund its hospitals. If they had voted to increase Medicaid, I thought according to the articles you linked, that the federal government would continue to fund at a higher rate, but that since NC refused, they are turning down the extra funding. Shouldn't North Carolina's taxes cover some of this? I'm still not understanding why not pressuring North Carolina to solve this first, and then the federal government as a last ditch effort. |
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Post by megop on Jul 15, 2014 2:44:38 GMT
States don't fund private hospitals typically. The term "private hospital" means it isn't part of a University or Health System (eta: such as a state hospital or Federally Qualified Health Access facility). That can be a for-profit entity or a not-for-profit entity. With Pungo having CAH status, it's a non-profit entity, meaning, their funds come from reimbursements from CMS, commercial and self pay payor mix. There aren't "taxes" involved directly. Community bonds perhaps. But unless there is something unique about Pungo (and I've not researched heavily into it) there isn't community or state taxes going directly to the hospital beyond what reimbursements are for services rendered. |
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Post by ten&rose on Jul 15, 2014 2:49:21 GMT
I can say that they have an annual hospital fundraiser and there have been some community bonds. It is not affiliated with a university as far as I know. And in reality it is a great hospital. The ER is fabulous for a tiny little hospital. Mainly they would like to maintain it as a stand alone emergency room so patients can be stabilized and transported out if need be. They town is ok giving up inpatient services but they need emergency services.
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Post by megop on Jul 15, 2014 2:49:53 GMT
In agreement with you Elaine, the non passage of Medicaid Expansion, has put non-profit and specifically critical access hospitals, at a severe disadvantage for viability. It would certainly help to keep the doors open for now. But long term, they would still face most likely ultimate closure. Medicaid Expansion delays, but the messages of a 10 year survival are still there. |
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Post by stampnscrap1128 on Jul 15, 2014 2:50:54 GMT
Signed. My prayers are with that town
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
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Post by megop on Jul 15, 2014 2:52:16 GMT
Total agreement with you KSUheather. Rural most likely is involvement with agriculture which has a high incidence of emergency care needs. ETA: Not to mention, a typically aging population entering the highest need of access to urgent/emergent care. |
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Post by cropaholicnora on Jul 15, 2014 2:54:11 GMT
Signed. I hope your efforts are successful.
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Post by Chips on Jul 15, 2014 3:03:27 GMT
Signed.
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Post by elaine on Jul 15, 2014 3:21:28 GMT
States don't fund private hospitals typically. The term "private hospital" means it isn't part of a University or Health System (eta: such as a state hospital or Federally Qualified Health Access facility). That can be a for-profit entity or a not-for-profit entity. With Pungo having CAH status, it's a non-profit entity, meaning, their funds come from reimbursements from CMS, commercial and self pay payor mix. There aren't "taxes" involved directly. Community bonds perhaps. But unless there is something unique about Pungo (and I've not researched heavily into it) there isn't community or state taxes going directly to the hospital beyond what reimbursements are for services rendered. Thank you, Tracey. I've learned quite a bit from you - you clearly know much more about hospitals than I may ever know! |
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Post by megop on Jul 15, 2014 3:34:01 GMT
I'm no expert by any stretch. Rural access is just a passion of mine.  Love seeing you around again!!!! |
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Post by ten&rose on Jul 15, 2014 5:00:58 GMT
Many thanks to all who have signed. I hope they can pull this off and get the hospital reopened. It really is a cute little town in beautiful Eastern NC and they need the services and the jobs!
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Love seeing you around again!!!!