SEN. KOLKHORST ADDRESSES CLOSURE OF LA GRANGE HOSPITAL
(R-Brenham)
State Senator Lois Kolkhorst has issued a statement regarding Wednesday’s announcement of St. Mark’s Medical Center in La Grange to shut down effective October 12th.
The hospital stated the reason for the closure is due to its continued struggles in making monthly mortgage debt payments while also dealing with revenue shortfalls and growing expenses.
The full statement of Kolkhorst, who chairs the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services, can be read below:
"The difficult local decision to shut down St. Mark’s Hospital comes after several years of challenges. My office has worked closely with those seeking to support the hospital.
In fact, the St. Mark's situation inspired me to pass legislation to assist rural hospitals like the one in La Grange to become a new licensing category for emergency rooms. With that new REH (Rural Emergency Hospital) designation, more state and federal funds can now be accessed, including $50 million in state grants available this biennium. It was previously announced that St. Mark’s was going to be the first to receive $1.1 million of this funding, prior to this recent decision to cease operations.
While this is a difficult time for the community, I stand ready to assist the people of La Grange and Fayette County as they determine the next course of action to deliver local healthcare at this facility."
Life flight in La Grange closed down few months ago.
First of all thank you Senator Kolkhorst for securing legislation to keep our small town community hospitals open its a big help but I have to ask what has happened to healthcare in the Texas? I have a family member in healthcare and we have seen the bar lowered not raised over the years and the reason for lowering maybe the pay and using people from overseas looking for green card visa sponsorship .The small hospitals don’t qualify for that program so they have to actually pay a living wage and many times the smaller hospitals have higher standards than the larger hospitals.. I only have an opinion but I think it revolves around money. Who gains from the closing of under 100 bed hospitals the small community nope. Rex Clinton said it I hope they have a good life flight copter. Closer to the answer than you might think. Baylor Scott and White, HCA, Memorial Herman, Methodist, St.Joseph, ect. they don’t want these hospitals open so if you have something more than a broken or cut finger you have to go to the big city. The costs going to the big city hospitals with overnight stays, fuel, meals, and parking adds up so we lose big time and they gain big time and we get stuck with some huge out of pocket expenses insurance don’t cover. New hospitals going up all HWY 290 or I-10 near Houston. So if you follow the money the small hospitals start with cutting staff and services.Next they are not making money then comes in the management service and they loot the place close it and then its just an empty building . Why can’t we have a county owned hospitals.Folks we all deserve to have local affordable health care and we shouldn’t be forced to go to the big city for health care where most of us can’t even get our trucks in the parking garage that is costly.We need legislation in my opinion to reel in the heath care CEOs and the greed they represent.I am sure these hospital and their lobbyist have lots of influence in Austin . In my opinion the hospital situation for small hospitals is more by design than management issues cause there is a definite need for these services locally cause we should not be going backwards just follow the money.
Thank you Senator for securing funds thru Texas Legislation to assist in keeping small town hospitals open. I don’t think our Federal Government cares about our local small hospitals at all. So you have them money on the table to help lets see if they accept.
Senator Kolkhorst is the Chairman of the TX Senate Committe on Health and Human Services. Contrary to her previous actions, she must urge the Texas Governor and Legislature to accept all federal (Medicaid) funding for Texans that is available. This would help prevent further rural hospital closings and save lives.
Medicaid expansion would never have helped in this situation because the community voted down a hospital district recently- that is the much larger financial factor, not Medicaid.
Hope they have a good Life Flight service.