NOVEMBER 13, 2024|
Photo – MHCC – by Matt Copeland Bigfoot99
Carbon County voters, north of Interstate 80, last week narrowly defeated the formation of a special taxpayer district that would help fund Memorial Hospital of Carbon County. While changes to the way the facility operates are needed, hospital officials say the Rawlins clinic is not in danger of shutting down.
The Board of Carbon County commissioners voted in August to add the creation of a hospital district to November’s general election ballot. At the time, Memorial Hospital board members said the district, which would impose a 3-mill property tax levy on residents, was expected to bring an additional $1.5 million to the cash strapped facility. The money would be earmarked for building maintenance and equipment purchases. Without the added funding source, the hospital board said the future of the medical center is in jeopardy.
Memorial Hospital officials began an intensive public education campaign. Staff held informational meetings in Rawlins, Sinclair, and Hanna to explain the purpose of the hospital district and the financial impact the additional tax would have on residents.
Despite the best efforts put forth by hospital officials, residents living in the proposed district boundary voted 1,759 to 1,670 against the measure. A difference of only 89 votes.
With the election behind them, Memorial Hospital staff must decide how to move forward without the additional revenue source. MHCC Chief Operating Officer Stephanie Hinkle told Bigfoot99 that the close vote shows that residents care about the fate of the Rawlins facility. Hinkle said more public education may have swayed the election in the hospital’s favor.
Hospital staff have scheduled an after-action meeting today to discuss the results of last week’s election results and formulate a plan for the future of the medical facility.
Hinkle said similar initiatives to the hospital district typically utilize expensive marketing firms to spread the word. Instead, she and other hospital officials ran a grassroots campaign at no cost to the medical center. Hinkle said to expect to see the hospital district again on a future ballot.
Hinkle said she will review the data collected during the hospital district campaign to identify ways to improve communication efforts. One topic of discussion will be finding ways to increase attendance at the informational meetings. Hinkle stressed that attending in-person meetings is crucial for obtaining accurate information.
Hinkle said face-to-face conversations were essential for convincing residents of the need for the hospital district. What happens next, now that the measure has failed? Hinkle said Memorial Hospital is not closing. However, hospital officials must find ways to cut overhead at the facility.
The hospital is not facing a doom-and-gloom scenario. Hinkle said the medical center continues to collect unpaid medical bills. Since partnering with the Aurora, Colorado medical billing agency Revenue Enterprises in June, Hinkle said patient collections have increased by over 2,500%.
Additionally, the hospital will welcome a new general surgeon at the beginning of December. Hinkle said surgeries generate substantial revenue. With Dr. Singleton on board, Memorial Hospital can offer surgical procedures to patients once again.
Hinkle said Memorial Hospital staff are also working on ways to improve communication with the public, especially people of Hispanic descent. The chief operating officer said residents may be unaware that MHCC offers an online patient portal to help people access their medical records.
Without the additional funding from the healthcare district, Memorial Hospital staff must be very careful with the facility’s finances. Hinkle said the hospital’s board of trustees will weigh the cost of services against the potential benefit to the community. The hospital can no longer waste money on medical services that do not generate money, said Hinkle.
On the November ballot, voters were also asked to select a five-person board to run the hospital district, if the measure passed. Hinkle said some residents are unsure about when the new board’s term begins. Because the measure was struck down, the existing Memorial Hospital board of trustees, who were appointed by the county commissioners, will continue to oversee the medical center.
Hinkle reiterated that Memorial Hospital of Carbon County will not go out of business because the healthcare district didn’t pass. The medical center will investigate ways to reduce costs and increase revenue. The administration will pursue a taxpayer funded hospital district in the future. Until then, Hinkle said she will continue working to educate the public about the importance of the Rawlins hospital.
