This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters.
By Ana B. Ibarra, CalMatters
Absent a Hail Mary, Glenn County’s only hospital is set to close its doors in October.
Tucked between two national forests, the rural county is home to 28,000 people. Without a local emergency room, they’ll instead have to travel at least 40 minutes to a neighboring county for critical care. One hundred and fifty health workers will lose their jobs; they’re already resigning to seek work elsewhere.
The planned closure of Glenn Medical Center follows a decision by the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to strip the hospital’s federal “critical access” designation, a status that has provided Glenn Medical increased reimbursement and regulatory flexibility. Without that status, the hospital’s $28 million in net annual revenue will take a hit of about 40% — a gap too large to fill any other way than closing the hospital, said Lauren Still, the hospital’s chief executive.
“It’s heartbreaking that we come to this. I am still kind of praying for that 11th hour miracle to come through,” Still said. “But honestly, we just have to be realistic, and this is the hand we’ve been dealt.”
Over the last several months Still and her team have been attempting to make their case with the federal health agency, even flying to Washington D.C in July in an attempt to lobby their case.
At the crux of the issue is a federal rule, newly reinterpreted, that requires critical access hospitals to be at least 35 miles from the next closest hospital when traveling by main roads. Officials at CMS now say that the next closest hospital, Colusa Medical Center, is only 32 miles away — 3 miles short of the required distance.
Glenn Medical Center and county health officials argue that most people and ambulances take a different route, I-5 to Highway 20. That route is 35.7 miles, a distance that would qualify.
“We really felt that by getting all of our stories out there … showing all of the different people that would be impacted by this decision, we really thought that would be enough information for them [CMS] to consider the human and practical considerations of their decision,” Still said. “Unfortunately, the only thing that matters is how they’re measuring the distance on the roads.”
The feds first notified Glenn Medical in April that a recertification review found the hospital was not eligible for the critical access program. Hospital officials clung to hope that an appeal and communication with the agency would clarify the situation. But in a letter dated Aug. 13, the agency told the hospital it was standing by its original decision.
“After reviewing the hospital’s additional information, CMS found that the hospital continues to not meet the distance requirement,” the letter reads.
The locations of Glenn Medical Center and its neighbor a county over have not changed since Glenn Medical first became eligible for the critical access program in 2001. CalMatters asked the federal agency why it was seeking to revoke the hospital’s designation now after more than two decades of eligibility at the same distance. The agency did not directly answer the question, but in an email simply reiterated the requirements to qualify for the program.
CMS said Glenn Medical Center could convert to another provider type in order to continue participating in the Medicare program. But Still said no other Medicare reimbursement model would pay the hospital at a financially sustainable rate. Under the critical access program, the federal government pays hospitals 101% of their costs for inpatient and outpatient services provided to Medicare patients.
U.S. Rep. Doug LaMalfa, a Richvale Republican who represents Glenn County, said he continues to have conversations with Dr. Mehmet Oz, the administrator at CMS. He said they last spoke last week.
“We’re not giving up by any stretch, we’re going to pull out all the stops,” LaMalfa said. “We had a really good conversation with Dr. Oz and are looking for a way to make it work because the closure is not acceptable. It’s a technical issue that we oughta find a way to work through.”
LaMalfa said he is considering introducing a bill that could update the mileage requirement or give CMS more discretion when evaluating rural hospitals. But it’s unclear that something could get done before October.
Glenn Medical Center and its staff cannot wait for much longer. The hospital announced it would keep its clinics open, but inpatient services will cease Oct. 21. Still said that’s when she expects to no longer have enough staff to be able to operate.
“We had to start talking to staff and telling staff that, “Hey, we don’t have a future here. There’s no viable path forward for us without that critical access designation,’” Still said. “At that point, we started getting staff resignations.”
With the announced closure, most Glenn County residents will have to seek emergency services either at the hospital in Colusa County or further away at Butte County’s Enloe Medical Center, a larger Level II trauma center in Chico.
“We are actively reviewing available resources to ensure our readiness to absorb anticipated increased patient volumes at the Enloe Health Emergency Department,” wrote Enloe Health in an unsigned statement.
Glenn County’s two ambulances will also have to travel further and be outside the county for longer periods of time, leaving residents with even more limited emergency resources.
The announced closure is a stark reminder of the precarious state of California’s rural hospitals. Even with increased Medicare reimbursement, Glenn Medical Center’s annual financial statements show that the hospital consistently operated in the red.
Two years ago, the state bailed out 17 rural and community hospitals – Glenn Medical was not one of them – by loaning them close to $300 million altogether. That loan program was largely prompted by the closure of Madera Community Hospital, which also left an entire county without emergency services. After bankruptcy proceedings, Madera Community is now owned and operated by American Advanced Management, a for-profit company that has made a business out of rescuing distressed and shuttered hospitals. The company also owns Glenn Medical Center.
“It’s devastating for our group from a personal perspective because we really do pride ourselves in being somebody who comes in and re-opens hospitals,” Still said. “When we go into a community, we make that promise to the community that we’re not going to bail on them.”
Supported by the California Health Care Foundation (CHCF), which works to ensure that people have access to the care they need, when they need it, at a price they can afford. Visit www.chcf.org to learn more.
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Glenn County is a republican county. This is what they voted for. Enjoy driving an hour to get that heart attack treatment.. if you can make it. FAFO.
Anon – you know that’s exactly the argument they’re begging Quack Oz with. YOU KNOW IT! Didn’t I hear somewhere that elections have consequences? Hmmmm, where’d I hear that? Someone please help me…
MAGA killing their own. They voted for it.
66% voted for Trump. Oh well.
Yep. Womp Womp.
Sounds like 3/4 of the county got suckered in the election. Well, the whole world tried to warn you.
Sorry that you’re all going to suffer though. Bummer.
I hope the State of California steps it up and provides funding to keep this medical facility open. Traveling 40 minutes for critical care is a bit much. I know there are other parts of the state where people have to travel even further for care like this, but this facility is already staffed and up/running.
you mean, you hope the federal government steps up to give back the funding they promised?
My hope is that this medical facility is not closed.
Then you shouldn’t have voted for Trump.
The Big Beautiful Bill raised your taxes to bail out rural hospitals when Republicans cut Medicaid from millions of Americans. Unfortunately, this facility may not survive.
Nah. That’s what they voted for. Womp womp.
BEES – “I hope the State of California steps it up and provides funding to keep this medical facility open. ”
Wait. I thought you get riled up about taxpayers footing the bill of peoples’ terrible choices? This won’t be the only one. There will be tons of these rural clinics shutting down in red counties who voted for them to be shut down, even if by pure ignorance and refusal to acknowledge facts.
You oppose a few tax dollars going to people who are injured on our trails, but now want to spend MILLIONS on clinics that the Feds are shutting down in counties that voted for this?
I mean, I’m completely in favor of everyone having access to healthcare, no matter their vote, but am puzzled by your priorities on our taxpayers’ dime.
Very strange “logic” by any measure, but whatever floats the boat. Now we’re dictating who gets what on the basis of political party. As if “Vote My Way or Hit the Highway” is going to work for the most vulnerable and those with the least resources. No wonder people from Cali are frowned upon when we move to other states and countries. It should be mandatory for Californians to “zip it” when we move to other places…at least for a week or two before validating our stereotype. Can’t make this stuff up (for reals).
BEES – No wonder red states are looked down upon by Californians fortaking our federal tax dollars for their red state welfare. You voted for Trump, who literally takes money away from people who didn’t vote for him and from states that dont support him.
BEES – now THAT was some word salad. Got any irrelevant rolls to go with it?
It’s true. When you travel around the states there are plenty of folks that aren’t exactly appreciative of the average liberal Californian. They’re a bit wary, for good reason. And yeah, this “my way or the highway” attitude has been very pervasive from a few of the most vocal individuals here on Edhat for years. They want to silence anyone with different views. Total intolerance, total misplaced elitism. And that’s exactly why the assassination just happened. Some people wanna live in their tiny own bubble.
You’re describing rethuglicans very well.
BizarroWorldInfo has everything backwards, as usual.
https://x.com/bmoreviachicago/status/1966604196326641894/photo/1
They sure like taking our money. They don’t even realize they’re on welfare. Well, maybe they’re gonna. People smarter than dumb people can tell them what to think and feel and do – AND THEY WILL. Being smarter than dummies ain’t that hard. Just look at the Republicans. There isn’t one crayon there brighter than dark blue.
LOL, telling you you made a mistake that will
hurt you be voting for a POS isn’t “silencing” your views. Beyond that, I don’t travel
In the U.S., I prefer to spend my money in places where there is an emphasis on human rights over billionaires. But keep crying.
GeneralTree: That’s why we should always help local organizations that support our beliefs/wishes. Not much we can do when the Feds dole out the dinero to places, organizations, and people who we do not support. All of us can do something, even the slightest amount of time or financial support is appreciated. I take the proceeds from my sideline work (art and music) and donate to the Foodbank of Santa Barbara and to Girls Inc. If we each do our part, it makes for a better world.
BendKnee: Why are you so extremely lying about Sac, who wrote “I’m completely in favor of everyone having access to healthcare, no matter their vote”?
I don’t think BK is MAGA or voted for Trump, but he certainly isn’t very bright.
BTW, contrary to violent lying right and other reports, the shooter was one of theirs: https://x.com/bmoreviachicago/status/1966604196326641894/photo/1
Yep, that’s what Trump
Is doing, targeting Democrats and blue states. Your vote your choice.
Just think, one billionaire oligarch could step in and fund this hospital with a rounding error on their balance sheet. Wealth inequality is literally killing people. Capitalism run amuck.
Really just change between the couch cushions.
Here’s a chance for the “anti-woke”….whatever woke is…to WAKE UP!!! And hopefully won’t be attending too many wakes.
I wonder how many of the folks that have to travel for almost an hour after a heart attack or stroke are going to be turned away because medicare is their primary insurance? Maybe they’ll just turn away the ones with less critical needs. Even so, if they do accept you and you used to have medicare but don’t anymore then say goodbye to your house and any savings.
preliminary: We should all be so lucky to be within an hour of a medical-care facility that handles emergencies when such as strokes and heart attacks occur. There are plenty of places in the US where that is the case. You also have to assume that someone else needs to be around to assist (perform CPR, drive, call 911, etc.) during an emergency. Many people who were within minutes of medical care pass away regularly simply because no one is around to “discover” them. It is heartbreaking to be the one who finds a deceased loved one (or coworker or scuba partner, and so on) who might have survived if someone were there to get them help.
So quit your fake concern about this particular hospital.
We should be able to agree that blaming patients for the shortage of medical care facilities is the wrong way to look at the situation. It’s beyond me that some seem to be happy/gleeful about the closure of the Glenn Medical Center because it’s a “red” county. Shameful. Medical “deserts” did not start six months ago, so blindly assigning political blame is simply a nonstarter.
You’re right on your usual trajectory: Make something up or totally misunderstand, and then voice some mock outrage.
Do you suffer from some dissociative disorder? This is absolutely a political decision made by your guy. You knew it was coming when you voted for him. You just hoped you wouldn’t be on the short end of the stick. That’s all. That’s all y’all though when you ticked that box. We all suffer for your stupidity and lack of responsibility. But you go ahead and keep the hat on and ignore reality.
preliminari: The focus should be on people who need medical care and assistance. If you want to get into the other fluff, be my guest. Just remember, we are all in the same boat, so if you’re going to poke a hole in it, we ALL go down to Davey Jones’s locker. There never will be a solution if people simply don’t want a solution.
BEES – We’re all ready going down thanks to the hole you and all the other MAGAts poked.
What’s your solution to repealing the BBB?
As I said, there is no solution when no one wants a solution. IF there were a solution, then the State of California would have already provided it. Since the state is not providing a solution, then this medical facility is most likely shutting down for good. Finger pointing 101….go ahead.
Accept responsibility. This is YOUR fault.
Not surprisingly, BK is making no sense.
Sac – did you ever consider that they manufactured the name just for the acronym BBB so that future historians will confuse it with the Build Back Better plan, which was actually a really good thing? Yep, the orange menace absolutely thinks like that.
Yes, but in this case the focus was on the con destruction of medical care and of quality of life in California, to direct more of our funding to billionaires. The solution was already there in the form of these rural hospitals all over our country, and the kakistocracy is busily eliminating it.
Repugs are destroying health care, making health insurance more expensive, and destroying Medicaid and Medicare. Then tax us more to bail out rural hospitals. The solution WAS to not vote for this (but you did).
BEES – “It’s beyond me that some seem to be happy/gleeful about the closure of the Glenn Medical Center”
Stop lying. No one is gleeful that people will die because of Trump. I think most of us are just saying it’s hard to sympathize with those who willingly CHOSE THIS FATE.
It’s a true shame that any medical facility would be forced to close simply because of politics. I can’t imagine any medical facility in say Jackson, MS (80% Dem, Red State) or Memphis, TN (70% Dem, Red state) getting shut down for simply “not voting the right way.” Simply amazing approach where political disagreement turns into a local health-care crisis.
BEES – they’re not being shut down “simply because of politics” or “not voting the right way.” They aren’t being punished. They are facing the consequences of their patients and others voting for someone who they should have known does not care about the rural poor. He never has, he never will. This is no “approach,” this is what happens when you chose a lying billionaire in the hopes that he somehow will, for once in his miserable life, begin telling the truth and helping the poor.
This is not “political disagreement turns into a local health-care crisis.” They aren’t losing their hospital because of any disagreement, they are losing their hospital because the man they elected doesn’t care about them.
So, to simply blame this on “politics” or make it sound like they are being punished for their politics, is truly absurd. Blaming liberals for this, which is exactly what you’re doing when you talk about “political disagreement,” is remarkably vacuous.
Elections have consequences for EVERYONE, not just those who vote a certain way.
It’s stunning that this is so hard a concept for you to understand.