JUDGE’S COMMENTS
Back in December 2018 Little River Healthcare closed and thus we lost our hospitals in Cameron and Rockdale.
These were both nice facilities that provided good care. In fact, Little River spent several million dollars making repairs to the Cameron facility hoping to create a hospital that would be heavily utilized by the county.
However, that was not to be the case. The facility was greatly underutilized due in part to its close proximity to the hospitals in Temple.
We are not the only county that has experienced hospital closings.
Since 2013 over 23 rural hospitals in Texas have closed, more than any state in the nation and many more in the state are vulnerable.
The reason is economics. Rural hospitals are simply not very profitable.
Our state’s decision not to expand Medicaid and low patient volume are two of the top reasons for low profits.
Since the closures, no other providers have offered to re-open the facilities. In fact, St. Joseph will soon open a clinic in Rockdale, but they too insist the clinic will probably be break even at best.
The good news is that we do have a Scott & White Clinic in Cameron, The Rockdale Medical Clinic is now open on E. San Andres in Rockdale with a PA and a cardiologist and there is a clinic in Thorndale.
Hopefully the St. Joseph’s clinic in Rockdale will lead to an urgent care facility or maybe an emergency room. No doubt these are all needed.
Our ambulance service is another issue in the county. We currently have ambulance service provided by AMR.
AMR has three ambulances in the county, stationed at Cameron, Rockdale and Milano.
The ambulances receive an annual subsidy of about $300,000 divided by Cameron, Rockdale and the county. The reason is, again, economics.
It costs approximately $1 million a year to operate one ambulance.
To break even an ambulance needs to make about three runs per 24-hour period. In Milam County our three ambulances make between seven and eight runs total per 24-hour period.
So, the ambulances are not breaking even and thus we pay a subsidy to have the service. The hospital closings have exasperated the problem by requiring longer transports to an emergency room.
Last week I testified before a House subcommittee in favor of House Bill 2333 which would provide some Medicare money for rural ambulances.
If the bill passes, the additional monies will help us get more coverage.
Further, we have been meeting with AMR and other providers in an attempt to form some kind of partnership to provide for an emergency room and/or an urgent care center in the county.
Our medical situation in the county is complex and the solutions involve favorable rural legislative decisions.
It is very difficult for the taxpayers of rural Texas counties to shoulder the increased burden of medical subsidies because we are losing out on federal monies. But know that your county government will continue to work to solve this complex problem.
The passage of HB 2333 will be a big first step.
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