Hospitals closing

[GailL1]

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@gruffstuff wrote:

There is a Regional hospital in Coffeyville, Ks and it is 25 miles away.

I don't know if you live in a rural area, but I do.

All volunteer fire departments, call for help it might take 20 to 25 minutes to get an ambulance, then drive 25 miles to a hospital, hard to make all that happen in one hour or less.

It's the difference between life and death in some cases.

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Communities do what they can with the tax money available - want more, pay more.  Up the sales tax and/or property taxes.  Perhaps a designated special option sales tax for a period of time to pay off the bonds to get what you want.

The Medicare Rule is that there can be specific distances between hospitals of the same type - Critical access hospitals - and that measurement is 25 miles; less if it is rough terrain.

How close should they be?  If I am remembering right, this city of Independence, KS only has about 9800 residents.

[pc6063]

gruffstuff--nursing homes are already stressed by our generation, and though I can't tell you if they will close, you have to know that they will be endangered just as much as hospitals will be.

[john258]

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@gruffstuff wrote:

They use chopper for accidents a long way off.

Same where I live, with the condition the weather has to be good enough for the chopper to fly, if it's not it's an ambulance ride.

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Weather can be a problem, but so far not to bad. We have fire dept in lower end of country when they call for help it can take close to an hour for help to arrive. Police are the same way. On Indian reservation they can wait till next day. On real urgent police calls the country or state can take the call as they are all cross sworn. County uses chopper for police also. We are rural.

[gruffstuff]

I mean somewhat, they are at risk of losing their hospitals because funding will be taken away from hospitals and nursing homes in the area.

That's one aspect I didn't consider, if the hospital closes will nursing homes in the area close as well?

Who wants a nursing home a hour or more from the nearest hospital?

[gruffstuff]

They use chopper for accidents a long way off.

Same where I live, with the condition the weather has to be good enough for the chopper to fly, if it's not it's an ambulance ride.

[gruffstuff]

There is a Regional hospital in Coffeyville, Ks and it is 25 miles away.

I don't know if you live in a rural area, but I do.

All volunteer fire departments, call for help it might take 20 to 25 minutes to get an ambulance, then drive 25 miles to a hospital, hard to make all that happen in one hour or less.

It's the difference between life and death in some cases.

[TxGrandpa2]

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pc6063 wrote: risk of losing their hospitals because funding will be taken away from hospitals and nursing homes in the area.

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Of course there are some that are meeting this challenge by becoming affiliated with either healthcare groups or universities.  For instance of three in our area one became affiliated with CHI and another with the University of Texas Medical Branch.  But of course in doing so they gave up some of their independence for funding and assistance in obtaining medical personnel.

[john258]

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@gruffstuff wrote:

http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20150913/NEWS/309139998

Closure of Kansas hospital highlights rural care challenges

Kansas is the model for the " GOP " America, the Medicaid roll back proves it.

One hour or less to get to a hospital in a medical emergency, hard to make the " golden hour " if you have to drive forty or fifty miles.

Urgent care ............ a waste of time for a life threatening emergency, they'll call you an ambulance or tell you where the nearest hospital is.

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I live in a rural area also and here is what we have. One hospital in the city I live in about 50,000. Go west about 50 miles to next hospital Indian Health Service, Go north about 60 miles to next state one smaller than ours. Go east about 400 miles. Go south 200 miles. South east 200 miles. They use chopper for accidents a long way off. Level 2 trauma center. Can perform most all operations. Bad burns airlifted 250 miles to burn center. Hospital runs urgent care centers in about 3 or 4 other locations. Has 3 areas in city where you will find just about all specialists offices as Hospital set up a lot of the practices. Medical is the 2nd biggest job creator in the area. Medicare was expanded from day one. County and state help pay for the service. The hospital in on its own no Corp. absent owner. State has rules so all rural hospitals have services from large city hospitals in state like phone conif. via video etc. Service is good and people are involved in what the hospital does. I would say we are a model for the America of the future. Guess what a lot of this was put in place with a Reb. Gov. so I guess that proves get rid of the far right and let thinking people work a problem and it is possible to solve it for the area. I am sure there are a lot of ways rural areas can have good care if people work together. There is not one solution for all, but a solution for every area if the people living there work at it.

[Olderscout66]

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@easyed598 wrote:

The way Urgent care centers have been poping up in my rural area ,I doubt it won`t be long  before  Scott ,Kansa have several of them.

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WOW!  so Republicans can continue to destroy the 99%'s access to healthcare and the magic health fairy will swoop down and open clinics for the poor because....

Urgent care centers operate WITH NO MONEY INVOLVED! Who'da thunk it.

[pc6063]

Afisher--I am not a Republican, as i HOPE you know.  But i can tell you that just a week ago, I spoke before our Republican led county legislator to speak to them about shifting medicare costs on the people, while holding out the shiny incentive of lowered property taxes.  In our country taxes are capped, and so the people are already protected. 

But, just as most people who voted for Trump didn't know that the ACA and ObamaCare were the same thing, many people in this country aren't aware that even thought their taxes will be lowered, somewhat, and because of that cap, I mean somewhat, they are at risk of losing their hospitals because funding will be taken away from hospitals and nursing homes in the area.  We have three in this country that have already come close to closing.  In my statement i spoke of all three hospitals and mentioned that nursing homes would be put at risk.  The legislator shose to pass the bill.  Nurses and doctors also spoke at this meeting. 

To me, it was another --use the ignorance of the people and save lots of money.  I am hoping that just as this legislator choice to ignore the needs of this country, this country will ignore their need for employment come election day.  They are all up for re-election.