Possible rural hospitals closures could lead to more people traveling Tulsa for care

A recent report from the Chartis Center for Rural Health said 22 rural hospitals in the state of Oklahoma are at risk of closing.

The Hospitality House of Tulsa said each time a hospital closes its doors, it leads to a higher number of people needing to travel to Tulsa for care.

FOX23 learned how this impacts not just the rural communities, but Tulsa as well.

FOX23 spoke with Janet Kimberlin, a cancer patient who lives about 60 miles away in Vinita.

“Being from little old Vinita and not having a lot of money to travel and to eat out, it’s expensive,” she said.

She needed to come to Tulsa for treatment after she was diagnosed with small-cell lung cancer.

“I thought well we’re just going to have to drive back and forth every day and I know chemo can make you pretty sick,” she said.

Thankfully instead of making that daily drive, Kimberlin was able to stay at Hospitality House of Tulsa.

The donation-based nonprofit offers a place to stay, meals, transportation, prayer support, laundry services and more to families who need to travel to Tulsa for care.

There is also a day room for those on the waitlist.

Toni Moore, President and CEO of Hospitality House of Tulsa, said should any more rural hospitals need to close, their waitlist would get even longer as more and more people need to travel to Tulsa.

That could mean longer waits for Tulsans to receive care too.

Rural hospitals typically serve more older and lower-income populations. Because of this, there’s a higher number of patients using Medicare or Medicaid, which leads to fewer reimbursements compared to metro hospitals who get paid more by private companies.

“When a rural hospital closes, it affects all of us,” Moore said. “If you’ve ever gone to the ER as a patient, you’ve probably noticed the long lines to get even seen at the ER. If you have to be admitted you have to wait quite a while for a bed to open.”

This is a problem she expects to get even worse if something’s not done.

Moore has done extensive research on the state of rural hospitals in Oklahoma.

She said of the 78 rural hospitals in our state, 10 have already closed their doors.

A new report from the Chartis Center for Rural Health said 22 more rural hospitals could close due to receiving less money as Medicaid was expanded.

“These are at immediate risk due to financial situations that happen with rural health reimbursements that’s coming from Medicare and Medicaid,” Moore said.

Moore said rural hospitals receive much less in reimbursements than metro hospitals.

Their closure also puts many lives at risk.

Moore said in the event of a cardiac emergency, having care within 20-30 minutes away significantly improves outcomes.

For some, the financial burden of having to travel for care could even lead to homelessness.

“30% of the families that we serve tell us had they not been able to stay here, they would have faced a foreclosure or eviction from their home that would have led to homelessness,” she said.

Moore encourages Tulsans to work to prevent more rural hospitals from closing.

Hospitality House of Tulsa will continue its work to help those who have already been impacted by closures.

If you would like to volunteer or make a donation to the hospitality house, visit the website HERE.