It’s been an interesting summer here at Eastern Plumas Health Care, and for rural hospitals and nursing facilities in California and across the nation. In July, EPHC received word that state lawmakers had passed an Amendment authorizing them to make what would amount to a 23% rate reduction for our skilled nursing facilities (SNFs). We’re waiting to hear if the Center for Medicare will approve these cuts. If they go through, our hospital stands to lose over $1 million. Most likely, it would force the closure of our two skilled nursing facilities (in Loyalton and Portola). 60 staff members would lose their jobs, and the strain on our hospital could mean more job cuts in the near future. Further, SNF patients would be transferred to facilities far away from home and loved ones, a tragic loss for some of our most vulnerable patients.
Also in July, Congress was busy planning cuts at the national level that could prove even more devastating to EPHC and other rural (critical access) hospitals, should they be approved. Potentially on the table as part of the deficit reduction talks, is over $14 billion in Medicare cuts to rural providers, including EPHC. If these cuts become a reality, our hospital, and many others nationwide, will be forced to close or severely reduce services.
This devastating loss of services would greatly reduce local health care access. In a county where there’s a significant population of elderly citizens, a local health care option is vital. In addition, our economy depends to a great degree on tourists, second home owners, and retirees—groups that simply would go elsewhere if our hospital closed.
These financial threats are so significant, they have us once again looking to you—our donors, our most stalwart supporters, and our dedicated community members—for essential aid. Never before have we needed you more.
We need your ideas, your creativity, your suggestions—offers of help and financial assistance that, perhaps, haven’t occurred to us. The questions we’d like you to think about are these: How can we begin to raise the kind of money that will keep our hospital going now and into the future? How can we keep our hospital open and vibrant and responsive to the needs of our community? How do we create an environment in which this hospital and this community become allies in order to ensure our mutual survival?
We look forward to hearing from you. Please feel free to respond in whatever way you feel most comfortable: Linda Satchwell, Foundation Liason, Phone: 530.832.6597; Email: lsatchwell@ephc.org; Mail: 500 First Ave., Portola, CA 96122.