Hospital Authority Board VP Pat McDowell gave an update about the future of the Llano Hospital at County Commissioner's Court on Monday, January 13. He spoke in detail about the Federal Rural Emergency Hospital designation (REH), which looks to be the next step for the Llano County Hospital. He told the court, "In the last 13 years, 148 rural hospitals have closed and there are 453 at risk of closing. We would have to double the current inpatient census and add 60% to the swing bed program to break even under the CAH (Critical Access Hospital) licensing that we currently have. Under the environment and demographics, we have, it's not going to happen. We really have to go to the REH." As of September, there were 30 REHs in the country and 5 or 6 are located in Texas.
As an REH, Llano Hospital would remain a 24-hour emergency and observation facility and continue to provide outpatient services like labs, radiography, Xray, CT scans, mammography and eventually more services like colonoscopies and infusions. Perhaps the sweetest part of the REH designation is a monthly facilities payment of $285,625.90, or 3.4 million annually.
The biggest hang up is that swing beds are not currently offered through the REH designation, so that service would go away. But, McDowell said, there is a possibility we could get swing beds back through enhancements to the program.
The Hospital Authority Board has started the process of converting the hospital to an REH by conducting interviews and applying for federal and state licensing.
The court took two votes when they reconvened after their closed session that would begin the separation from Mid Coast Central and continue hospital operations. Both motions passed, which were to authorize Llano County Judge Ron Cunningham to negotiate and execute Term Sheet with MidCoast Healthcare System and authorize Llano County Judge Ron Cunningham for any and all legal actions and remedies to achieve continuation of current operations or future health care opportunities.
