(12-6-23) Small hospitals around the U.S. are facing difficult financial issues to remain open. Community Memorial Hospital in Hicksville is one of them that is looking for answers.

In a WANE Tv story CEO Roy Davis said-

“It’s just harder and harder. Population has shrunk here, insurance companies are not paying correctly, especially the government ones — Medicare and Medicaid. They’re underpaying severely on claims.”

“The world has changed from inpatient to outpatient, so that is part of the transition. Things you used to get done in a hospital you can get done at home.”

“We’re getting pretty down to the bone we don’t have anywhere to cut.”

“If this hospital closes in this town, that’s $30 million in income leaving.”

The trend in the U.S. continues to see larger health providers gobbling up struggling small hospitals.

In October Ft.Wayne’s Parkview Health took control of three Northwest Ohio hospitals in Archbold, Bryan and Montpelier.

In December of 2022 Van Wert Health was taken over by Ohio Health.

Locally the two health providers Grand Lake Health and Mercer Health seem to avoided most of the pitfalls facing small health providers.