Rural US town outraged as only hospital forced to shut: 'I would have died without it'

[douglas9]

For the better part of a century, Glenn Medical center dealt with all kinds of injuries, ailments and emergencies in the far northern reaches of California’s Sacramento valley – heart attacks, car collisions and even plane crashes.

The only hospital in this agricultural county, not far from the rice fields and almond orchards, many of the area’s 28,000 residents have a story about how the hospital saved them, or a loved one, said Lauren Still, the medical center’s chief administrative officer.

But at 7pm on 30 September the hospital closed after 75 years.

Glenn Medical center could not keep its doors open after the federal government moved this year to eliminate its critical access designation, a special status for hospitals that helps ensure access to emergency health care in rural communities, officials said.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) determined that the hospital no longer met the distance requirement for the designation – critical access facilities must be more than 35 miles from the nearest hospital.

The decision means that tens of thousands of people will have to travel more than 30 miles for emergency medical care, driving on sometimes winding country roads, behind the tractors and heavy equipment used in area agriculture or, if they’re lucky, in one of the county’s two ambulances.

“It’s a tragedy that you’re gonna leave 30,000 people without readily access to an emergency room,” said Rick Thomas, the vice-mayor of Willows, the Glenn county city where the hospital is located.


https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/oct/07/rural-us-town-outraged-as-only-hospital-forced-to-shut-i-would-have-died-without-it

[Tetrachloride]

1. Some questions (I'm sure the local people have an idea)

1. Who, by name, did this designation ?
2. Are all of the doctors moving out ?
3. What is the State of California going to do ?

just throwing those out there

[Ritabert]

4. Apparently a new rule is that there can't be two ERs closer than 35 miles

Glenn County Medical Center is 32 miles from the next ER.

[SWBTATTReg]

2. And the scary thing about this situation is that it's bound to be repeated hundreds if not more times across the

Country. In Missouri, we had this but mainly caused by providers who bought out the small hospital/clinics and closed down quite a few of them.

[Walleye]

3. The problem is the president doesn't care about people. He doesn't know how.

All he cares about is money and real estate, and stroking his sick ego. He can’t understand why people would do right if they aren’t threatened with going to hell. How about they care about their fellow humans. That’s a good enough reason for me, apparently he doesn’t.

[SWBTATTReg]

5. Well, you're probably right in blaming tRUMP for some of these closings, but like in MO, the closings were caused

mostly by companies coming in, closing down the unprofitable ones, leaving fewer and fewer services available. A lot of the closings were initiated by for profit groups, seeking to consolidate and get rid of loss centers (an ugly word).

This lack of medical facilities and having to drive long distances for various health reasons in MO is one main reason why I chose not to retire in the Ozarks region of MO (where my folks retired to). Long commute trips for dental care, other care were often required on the part of my parents from Bennett Spring MO to either Springfield MO (50-60 miles one way) or the Lake of the Ozarks, again 50-60 miles one way. Most of the roads too, were two lane highways.

[Walleye]

6. No, I'm sure you're right. There's always a profit motive at the bottom of these atrocities.

But one thing we do know we can’t count on any Republican in office now to help with this problem. Or any Republicans to provide some relief.

[SWBTATTReg]

7. Really! Repugs in MO haven't addressed the issues I mentioned in my prior email (increasing lack of rural

hospitals, clinics, etc.)...and I doubt that they will either.

[Walleye]

8. Well, I feel lucky to have ended up where I started out here in Delaware

Doctors hospitals, etc., all close by. I know it must be a real scary and a pain in the ass to have to travel that far to a doctor. My friends, who are older than I am, are living in New Mexico on a ranch and they are starting to have this problem.

[SWBTATTReg]

9. You're smart, either being aware of your location in being able to get to care, med. svcs, and other

services such as plain old grocery shopping. Although I did grow up a bit in rural America (the Ozarks), the lack of close facilities on literally just about everything took a bite out of everything. Every time my Mom and Dad had to go to the Lake of the Ozarks or Springfield MO, it required either them staying there overnight at a hotel (vs. having to go back home after a long day at the doc's office. Wasn't fun, as I would often go w/ my dad to his dental place in the Ozarks, or my Mom and Dad go to a med. place in Springfield MO, a long day indeed, especially on those winding 2 lane Country highways, not a fun thing to drive on really when you are tired after a long day.

[quaint]

10. Another incredibly cruel unnecessary closure.

With Glenn Medical Center’s closure, the likelihood of air medical transport for critically ill patients will increase. Community members are strongly encouraged to research and consider air ambulance membership or insurance programs,” Willows Fire Chief Nathan Monck said in an update on social media last week ahead of the planned Sept. 30 closure. sacbee