On the heels of Herington Hospital announcing its closure, other rural hospitals are speaking out about the challenges they face to remain open. This summer, Kiowa County Memorial Hospital was listed in a study that suggests it is at risk of closure. The CEO of the hospital, Morgan Allison, said she was shocked to learn the hospital is at risk because the staff had been working to avoid the same problems that have closed other rural hospitals. Rural hospitals are challenged by a lack of patients. “In the past, we had a lot of issues with patient volumes, but we have seen quite a change here at the hospital here in the last three years,” said Allison. In the last year, Kiowa County Memorial Hospital has increased its patient revenue by 48% while increasing its expenses by just 28%. A big reason for that is the opening of a new unit that brings in $100,000 of revenue yearly.
Source: KSN-TV
