Sewell said the goal was to hear directly from those on the front lines about the challenges rural communities face when it comes to keeping health care services accessible.
) - During National Public Health Week, U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell visited Demopolis on Wednesday, hosting a rural health roundtable at Whitfield Regional Hospital with hospital leaders and health care providers from across Alabama’s 7th Congressional District.
Sewell said the goal was to hear directly from those on the front lines about the challenges rural communities face when it comes to keeping health care services accessible. The discussion brought together leaders from Whitfield Regional Hospital, Greene County Health System, J. Paul Jones Rural Emergency Hospital, Hill Hospital, Grove Hill Hospital, DCH Health System, Hale County Hospital and the Rural Medical Program in Selma. Sewell thanked Whitfield Regional for hosting the event and said gatherings like this are important because many rural providers are facing the same pressures. Sewell said one of the biggest concerns raised during the visit was the financial strain many rural hospitals are under. She argued that hospitals in Alabama are being reimbursed by Medicaid and Medicare at lower rates than providers in other parts of the country, calling that gap unfair and harmful for facilities already struggling to stay open. She said that issue is one reason she recently reintroduced the Save Struggling Hospitals Act, which is aimed at fixing the Medicare payment formula and the wage index that affects how hospitals are reimbursed. Sewell said the problem is not partisan, but one affecting rural hospitals across the country, and said hospitals need both fair reimbursement and timely payments to keep making payroll and continue caring for patients. Sewell also used the visit to highlight another recent legislative victory on the health care front. She said the Nancy Gardner-Sewell Multi-Cancer Early Detection Bill passed in February and is designed to speed up access to new cancer screening tests for Medicare patients once those tests are approved. According to Sewell, some of those screenings could eventually detect up to 40 different cancers from a single vial of blood. Beyond reimbursement, Sewell said hospital leaders also discussed the impact of uncompensated care and the loss of services in rural communities. She pointed specifically to the closure of obstetric wings at some hospitals, saying that when expecting mothers have to drive long distances for care, it becomes a serious public health concern. She said maternal mortality in Alabama is rising and that the situation shows how fragile rural health systems have become. Another topic Sewell said is now drawing attention is a rural hospital transformation fund that she said will send more than $200 million to Alabama. She said the state is still working through the rules and guardrails for how that money will be administered, but called it an important opportunity for struggling facilities. Whitfield Regional Hospital CEO Doug Brewer also spoke during the event, saying hospital leaders across the region are constantly working to keep care available in communities that need it most. Brewer said many of those providers are dealing with day-to-day financial pressures, including the challenge of simply making payroll, and said Sewell’s willingness to listen directly to their concerns matters. Sewell said the purpose of the roundtable was not only to hear concerns, but to better represent rural providers in Washington. She said hospitals and clinics across Alabama’s Black Belt are doing critical work, but need support to keep their doors open and continue serving patients who often have few other options.Mayor: Sunday Montgomery homicide victim worked for city, suspect arrestedPastor charged with manslaughter after man drowns in kiddie pool during baptismRibbon cutting held for Montgomery Therapeutic Recreation Center
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