Georgia is “ground zero” for rural hospital closures, he said. border-left: 0px solid !important; With that uncertainty in mind, political leaders in Georgia are in a wait-and-see mode. It represents a loss of identity, a loss of community. We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. The hospital authority that operates Tift Regional Medical Center, based in nearby Tift County, acquired Cook County’s hospital in July 2012. This map was made using Neighborhood Nexus. Inside three Georgia counties that have struggled to keep their hospitals ― and futures ― alive. Without many employers, younger workers in rural and smaller counties often leave to pursue more opportunities in larger metro areas. And more than half of the state’s remaining rural hospitals are vulnerable to closure, according to a 2016 report on rural hospital strength by iVantage Health Analytics for the National Rural Health Association. Do you have information you want to share with HuffPost? background-color: #fff; Muscogee County lost $646.63 million in annual AGI and lost 7,917 residents, 5. “We’re all in this together. Six rural hospitals in the state have closed their doors since the beginning of 2013. Some counties where gaps in growth are largest tend to be recreation destinations or home to more retirees. The most recent county-level data from the Census Bureau (2016 Population Estimates, released last week) allow us to analyze ttrends in county, metro, and state population numbers. The facility, located in the town of Metter, owes another $1.8 million in additional notes and liabilities. While Houston County is growing, most of Central Georgia is shrinking. ©2020 Verizon Media. “Now that may not seem like a lot, but it sure meant something to those folks’ families,” she said. About 120 jobs at the hospital itself ― including positions for doctors, nurses, administrators, orderlies and the cleaning crew ― vanished, along with most of the foot traffic on Glenwood’s main street. Where Government is Going – One Headline at a Time Delivered to your inbox everyday. It’s inexcusable that Washington is leaving rural hospitals to founder, Morgan argues. For over 65 years, ARC and its predecessor agencies have helped to focus the region's leadership, attention and resources on key issues of regional consequence. We’ll probably rely on support from the county,” Hadden said. It would be a lot harder to attract that kind of new business without a hospital, Snell said. David Ralston, the speaker of the Georgia House and a Republican from rural Blue Ridge, said the state “did the financially prudent thing when we decided not to expand Medicaid.”. The troubles with Glenwood’s hospital became apparent about a decade ago. .static-table td { Includes workforce and gig economy policy issues – including but not limited to telework, automation, unions, UBI, and other innovations. }. “I tell folks that move here, ‘This is a beautiful place to live, but you better have brought money, because you can’t make any here.’”. The elections could impact a host of cases. Without a population that large, hospitals need substantial county assistance, a high level of diversification in health services or the backing of a regional hospital system. Terms and Conditions | Privacy, PPP Loan Forgiveness Tips from the SBA (11/11), PPP Forgiveness: Q&A on what you need to know to achieve forgiveness (10/28), Guide to Forgiveness of PPP Loans $50,000 or Less, NFIB Guide to New Federal Lending Options, Small Business Financial Resources During Coronavirus, Liability Protection Principles for America’s Small Businesses. “The problem with Georgia is you have a higher percentage of low-income people, a higher percentage of people who are uninsured, and you have a higher percentage of health disparities,” said Morgan, the head of the National Rural Health Association. Counties, Republicans Hold Their Edge in State-Level Politics, Legislative Turnover at Lowest Level Seen Since 1920s, Voters Reshape State Supreme Courts in the Midwest. Interestingly enough, the counties that have seen the highest rates of growth are mostly grouped together along the southeastern border and close to the northern border. border: 0px solid #ccc; Candler County is struggling to make sure its hospital, which is about 45 miles east of Wheeler County, doesn’t go the same way as Glenwood’s. How does this trend look in Georgia and metro Atlanta? Many non-urban counties have seen a decrease in population over the past year (orange). Last updated: Oct 11, 2013. U.S. Census population estimates released this week show that most of the region's counties have lost population since 2010. The hospital’s closure eliminated the county’s biggest health care provider and dispatched yet another major employer. While 119 people may be a drop in the bucket for Georgia's population of nearly 10 million, it represents over a quarter of that city's population. Atlanta Regional Commission Candler County, population 11,000, has dug deep to keep its second-largest employer afloat. Click on the county name in the legend to remove select counties from the chart view, and hover over the points on the lines to view the percentage change in population from the previous year for 2010 -2015. “The reality is from a hospital management standpoint, the non-expansion of Medicaid has hurt all rural county hospitals,” said Eaves, the Candler County administrator. NFIB is a member-driven organization advocating on behalf of small and independent businesses nationwide. On Glenwood’s main street, building after building is now for sale, closing, falling apart or infested with weeds growing through the foundation’s cracks. In fact, 57 out of 159 counties are actually losing wealth in Georgia, with DeKalb, Clayton and Richmond leading the pack. text-align: left; “At the federal level, they’re just watching it burn. Doctor shortages are widespread in rural areas, as communities have a hard time recruiting without substantial financial incentives. “The reality is from a hospital management standpoint, the non-expansion of Medicaid has hurt all rural county hospitals,” said Eaves, the Candler County administrator. color: #000; A series of bad decisions ― especially the installation of a faulty IT system ― combined with the usual factors squeezing rural hospitals have left the Candler County Hospital with about $6 million in accounts payable and an additional $4 million debt that the county incurred on its behalf, according to hospital CEO Dave Flanders. While everything from job opportunities to the weather can contribute to a person’s decision to move to another city, the data from “How Money Walks” suggests that business- and wealth-friendly tax climates can be seriously appealing. “We didn’t want it shuttered with trees growing up through it,” said Brent Dixon, chairman of the Adel Industrial Development Authority. Some U.S. counties in recent years have experienced notable declines in the prime working-age population, considered those 25 to 54 years old. The event was also streamed live on the newspaper’s Facebook page, where more than 400 people watched it. And cuts are coming to the Disproportionate Share Hospital program, which provides extra funding for hospitals that serve higher levels of low-income patients. Most importantly, gone was potentially life-saving care. DeKalb County lost $4.12 billion in annual AGI and lost 7,590 residents, 2. Forsyth, Cherokee and Henry counties were the most successful for Georgia, gaining $3.99 billion, $2.41 billion and $1.66 billion in annual AGI, respectively. Where the Working-Age Population Is Declining and Why It Matters Some counties are losing people in their prime working years, creating potential challenges for local governments. It’s one thing to look at the financial numbers,” Hadden said. Then the hospital was sold. Sumter County, Fla., which has the highest median age of any county, has seen its working-age population remain steady in recent years, but an influx of retirees caused the rest of the population to jump an estimated 34 percent since 2010. The commissioners’ vote was unanimous: The hospital project would go forward. In Cochise County, Ariz., for instance, which has experienced one of the largest declines, the loss of military jobs is to blame. GOV Daily: News and analysis at the collision of tech and society and fallout consequences for policy, legislation and strategies to govern. Greater demand for some public services is likely where numbers of older residents are climbing. Voter Registration and Turnout in Metro Atlanta (2004 to 2012), Monday Mapday: The Distribution of Georgia’s Black, Non-Hispanic Residents, Monday Mapday: Interactive Map of Atlanta Homicide Data, Data Diversion: COVID-19 Cases and Tests in the ARC 10-County Area. But many states ― like Georgia ― didn’t expand Medicaid. Most of the major trauma cases were already traveling the 30-plus minutes to Tift Regional or a hospital in Valdosta, he said. With 39 percent of the central Georgia county’s population living in poverty, there aren’t enough patients with good insurance to keep a hospital from losing money. Republicans scored a net gain of one governorship, adding to their lead. The drive to the nearest hospitals in neighboring counties averages between 30 and 45 minutes, depending on where the patient is coming from in Wheeler County. When asked, Purvis said he didn’t know of any patients who were harmed by the closure of the ER earlier this year. Although the age 25-to-54 group has historically been viewed as the range for prime working ages, it’s worth noting that more Americans are opting to retire later. “It’s been devastating,” the 72-year-old mayor said, leaning on one of the counters in Glenwood’s one-room city hall.
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