FAIRMONT, W.Va. – Officials and community members are meeting in Fairmont to assess the impact and look for solutions following the closure announcement of Fairmont Regional Medical Center.
Joe Letnuanchyn has 45 years of experience in the healthcare industry and is the president and CEO of the West Virginia Hospital Association. On Talkline, Letnuanchyn said for the past several a perfect storm has been brewing for the hospital system.
“Medicare continues to ratchet down, Medicade- we haven’t seen increases and we’re trying to prevent cuts and the PEIA is not a great payer,”Letnuanchyn said,”The three of those together don’t spell financial success.”
Locally, Marion County Health Department administrator, Lloyd White says they are trying to prevent a bad situation from becoming worse.
“It’s devastating, not only to our county but to surrounding counties that utilize those services, the impact is far and wide, for example EMS,”White said,”They’re going to have to increase their staffing, the transport times are going to be far greater. Quite frankly, without a hospital here we’re going to see an increase in mortality and morbidity, no way to avoid it.”
White says when the hospital is gone they will do their best to meet needs they can.
“If it’s like blood pressure checks,”White said,”We still use utilize our hospitals and emergency rooms for things we should really see our doctor for, but if some of those come to our clinic we’ll provide services as best as we can.”
District 5 councilman Barry Bledsoe is also an paramedic, he fears the impact will be felt much deeper and over time.
“It’s going to impact everybody from the suppliers who deal with them, from the customers that come in and buy their lunch, a lot of these people may end up moving and I hope they don’t,”Smith said,”Ultimately, I hope this hospital will be saved, but right now there doesn’t seem to be anything positive on the horizon, but who knows how many people will end up moving because they don’t have a job around here.”
White remains optimistic about the future.
“The silver lining, in my opinion may very well be a quality healthcare entity like Mon General or WVU come in and assume operations,”White said,”I think they have more, and available resources, so I’m hopeful we’ll have quality healthcare and do it in the most economic and feasible manner.”