SENATOR KOLKHORST ADDRESSES RURAL HOSPITALS IN TOWN HALL MEETING

  

Senator Lois Kolkhorst recently attended a town hall hosted by the Texas Organization of Rural & Community Hospitals.

The town hall event took place on Wednesday, August 24, in Columbus, Texas. It was an open dialogue between dozens of local hospital managers and Senator Kolkhorst. The meeting focused on crucial issues facing rural and community hospitals.

Nationwide, over 65 rural hospitals closed in the past three years, with several more in bankruptcy and at least a dozen more in financial distress.

Senator Kolkhorst's district covers parts of 21 counties, and is home to seventeen of the state's 164 rural hospitals including Bellville, Brenham, Caldwell and LaGrange.

The rural hospitals within her district currently employ nearly 2,800 full time employees and represent a combined budget of $420 million with a collective annual economic impact of approximately $1.5 billion.

Senator Kolkhorst emphasized the importance of these hospitals, saying that the “… rural and community hospitals serve as the health care safety net for the vast landscape of Texas, often when no other care is available.”

She went on to say that she understands that she is a Senator for a largely rural district, and that it is imperative to foster a “sustainable healthcare system that allows these facilities to keep their doors open and providing quality care."