I had the privilege earlier this week to welcome and join one of the most important gatherings of rural health care leaders in California: CHA’s annual Rural Health Care Symposium.
More than 150 people attended the two-day event (along with 25 sponsors!), a testament to the commitment that many Californians share to sustain and enhance rural health care. California’s rural hospitals are lifelines for more than 2 million people, providing 24/7 critical health care services and serving as anchor institutions in their communities. And they are critical to the sustainability of all hospitals — any one closure affects all hospitals in an interdependent system.
Joining for the conversation were several key state legislators. Assemblymembers Chris Rogers (D-Ukiah) and Esmerelda Soria (D-Merced) discussed rural challenges and ways the state can help ensure rural hospitals remain viable and impactful in their communities. Their message was simple and powerful: rural health care matters.
That message was echoed by Marshall CEO Siri Nelson, a member of CHA’s Board of Trustees, who joined me for a conversation where we dug deep into the challenges facing rural hospitals. It was a meaningful discussion where hospital leaders shared their candid concerns and their constructive advice for how to protect and advance rural health care in a difficult environment.
Some support will come via the Rural Health Transformation Program, where the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently approved $183 million of California’s expected $233 million award. The state is negotiating with CMS on the remaining $50 million, but this money will be critical to making investments that transform rural care for future success. Leaders from the state Department of Health Care Access and Information briefed attendees on the next steps to participate in the program and a request for applications is expected in late spring.
The symposium featured many other learning opportunities, all with a critical overarching theme: communities and patients served by rural hospitals are at risk of losing vital services and in the worst cases, having their hospital close altogether. That means policymakers must take steps now — no matter how difficult — to make sure that doesn’t happen.
