Ga. plan addresses struggling rural hospitals

Georgia hospitals could scale back their services under a plan unveiled Wednesday by Gov. Nathan Deal meant to help rural communities keep healthcare facilities open. Speaking to the Rural Caucus of the General Assembly earlier this week, Deal proposed a change in hospital licensure rules that would allow struggling or recently closed rural hospitals to offer “downsized” services that would include an emergency department. Such facilities could also provide childbirth services and some kinds of elective surgery, he said.

Four rural hospitals in Georgia have closed in the past two years, and a total of eight have folded since 2000. Besides increasing the medical risk to people, a hospital closure also devastates a rural area’s economy, Deal noted. The downsizing licensure change would not require legislation, he said.

Source: Georgia Health News