Deaconess Henderson Hospital was listed as a hospital at-risk in documents associated with a letter sent from national Democratic leaders on June 12 that warned of the consequences to rural healthcare if President Donald Trump’s budget bill is passed.
Linda White, the chief administrative officer for Deaconess Henderson Hospital, said the local hospital won’t close.
“We want to clearly and firmly state that Deaconess Henderson Hospital is not closing,” White said in a statement sent to the Hendersonian.
In the letter signed by senators Jeff Merkley (D)-Oregon, Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, Edward Markey, D-Massachusetts, and Chuck Schumer, D-New York, the legislators warn that the cuts proposed to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act will cause 16 million people to lose health coverage and cause many rural hospitals to be at-risk of closing.
The senators warn that “many rural hospitals may be forced to stop providing certain services, including obstetric, mental and emergency room care, may have to convert to clinics or standalone emergency centers, or close altogether.”
The budget bill would cut Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act by more than $1 trillion and triggering more than $500 billion in Medicare cuts, according to the letter which is addressed to Trump, U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thume.
While White said the passage of the bill would not close the local hospital, she did mention that the proposed cuts would have “serious long-term consequences for hospitals serving rural communities like ours.”
Also included was a document of a list of hospitals state-by state that are most likely to be affected by the cuts. Kentucky had the highest number of at-risk hospitals on the list with 35.
The list was based on if a hospital has been unprofitable for the last three years; whether the hospital is at risk of financial distress relative to peer hospitals; and whether the hospital serves a disproportionately high share of Medicaid patients. Deaconess Henderson was included on the list because of its high share of Medicaid patients.
Here is White’s statement in full:
“We want to clearly and firmly state that Deaconess Henderson Hospital is not closing.
There are no plans to close the hospital, and we remain deeply committed to serving the health care needs of patients and families in Henderson and throughout the surrounding region.
We continue to expand and add services and recruit providers and staff.
Recent news coverage has highlighted potential impacts of proposed federal and state funding cuts, particularly to Medicaid and Medicare.
We take these concerns seriously. The financial health of rural hospitals is a critical issue, and we agree that proposed reductions in health care funding could have serious long-term consequences for hospitals serving rural communities like ours.
Deaconess Henderson Hospital remains open and fully operational, continuing to care for our community every day.
We are committed to transparency, open communication and high-quality care close to home. If community members have questions or concerns, we encourage them to reach out. We are here, and we are proud to serve.“
