As a Member of the Ways and Means Health Subcommittee, I have spent my time in Congress addressing West Virginia’s healthcare needs and traveling throughout my district to understand the key issues affecting our people. In our southern coalfields and more mountainous areas, the main hindrance to quality, lifesaving care can be summed up in one word: access. For individuals living in our most rural areas, the nearest hospital may only be accessible by winding, country roads. Although a trip through West Virginia’s hills and hollers is beautiful, the result can be an hours-long commute to reach much-needed care.
The Welch Community Hospital in McDowell County, West Virginia is a critical lifeline for not only McDowell County residents, but neighboring counties as well. With only one hospital in Mercer County and no hospitals in Wyoming County, Welch Community Hospital has a regional impact and provides invaluable services to those seeking care. Administering this care is costly. Recently, a West Virginia state official has shared that it costs $35 million annually to run Welch Community Hospital, and the hospital only returns approximately $15 to $18 million in revenue. This has led the State to examine options that would better benefit both the people the hospital serves and the taxpayers of West Virginia. Recent news of a potential sale of the hospital to a private entity has created questions and concerns from those dependent on this hospital for care. Whatever the outcome of these discussions, new ownership or continuation of a state-run hospital, one thing is absolutely crucial: the hospital must remain open and the people of McDowell County and the surrounding area must have access to quality care.
With talks of a potential sale of Welch Community Hospital resurfacing once again, the prospect of the sale allowing the facility to receive a Critical Access Hospital designation has been mentioned. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has created the Critical Access Hospital designation for facilities at least 35-miles from a health care provider that have 25 beds or less, allowing for higher reimbursement rates through Medicare. This designation provides much-needed support to facilities operating in sparsely populated areas with increasingly limited resources and ensures our rural hospitals are more financially secure to continue providing lifesaving medical care to those in need.
Every American, regardless of where they live in our country, deserves access to quality medical care. In rural and ultra-rural communities like those in our southern coalfields, accessing that care can be a challenge. We must protect our rural hospital networks that regularly operate on thin margins to administer vital health services to underserved communities. Wherever discussions lead, as the State pursues discussion and negotiations with private entities, the Welch Community Hospital must remain open for the many West Virginians relying on this facility for their medical needs.
