WesternBlazer
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UAB discussing agreement to keep rural hospital open
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11-28-2017 11:34 AM |
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BAMANBLAZERFAN
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RE: UAB discussing agreement to keep rural hospital open
If UAB rides into Camden like a cavalry rescue charge, it can expect to have almost a dozen hospitals in rural Alabama to come calling for similar assistance. Lakeland in Haleyville will soon be on that list.
Alabama's refusal to deal realistically with its Medicaid crunch (Shelby County, the richest in the state has a reported 26,000 on Medicaid) has already shut down several rural hospitals and several more are about to close. Many, like Lakeland in Winston County, are the only hospital in their county so people are an hour's drive or more away from medical help for even basic care.
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11-28-2017 05:35 PM |
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WesternBlazer
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RE: UAB discussing agreement to keep rural hospital open
I've always felt that UAB is uniquely-positioned to aid rural hospitals/communities. It seems to me they could set up a series of urgent care centers that would "wagon-wheel" out from UAB to the rural communities. To do this they would have an urgent facility is an area where there is/was/a need for a small hospital. Some miles away(< 50 miles) would be a regional UAB facility specializing in a higher level of care. If necessary, a patient would transition to UAB in Birmingham(essentially rural urgent care facility->regional critical care facility->UAB hospital). UAB has been opening numerous facilities around the state just outside of Birmingham. That could simply expand on this concept with an urgent care-critical care->UAB transition definition.
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11-28-2017 09:11 PM |
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UAB Band Dad
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RE: UAB discussing agreement to keep rural hospital open
That would help. but the bottom line is that Alabama's refusal to fund Medicare is forcing rural hospitals out of business and endangering the health of the poorest among us.
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11-28-2017 09:13 PM |
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WesternBlazer
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RE: UAB discussing agreement to keep rural hospital open
(11-28-2017 09:13 PM)UAB Band Dad Wrote: That would help. but the bottom line is that Alabama's refusal to fund Medicare is forcing rural hospitals out of business and endangering the health of the poorest among us.
Yep, and, as usual, you can count on the citizens of Alabama to live up to our national reputation and vote against our own best interests and complain afterwards...
(This post was last modified: 11-28-2017 09:18 PM by WesternBlazer.)
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11-28-2017 09:16 PM |
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hooverblazer
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RE: UAB discussing agreement to keep rural hospital open
(11-28-2017 09:11 PM)WesternBlazer Wrote: I've always felt that UAB is uniquely-positioned to aid rural hospitals/communities. It seems to me they could set up a series of urgent care centers that would "wagon-wheel" out from UAB to the rural communities. To do this they would have an urgent facility is an area where there is/was/a need for a small hospital. Some miles away(< 50 miles) would be a regional UAB facility specializing in a higher level of care. If necessary, a patient would transition to UAB in Birmingham(essentially rural urgent care facility->regional critical care facility->UAB hospital). UAB has been opening numerous facilities around the state just outside of Birmingham. That could simply expand on this concept with an urgent care-critical care->UAB transition definition.
I agree. I'm not sure of the financial viability on UAB's end, but it's something that UAB could centrally administrate from Birmingham thus cutting down on expenses in the rural community. And growing UAB's reach in the state even further would be great.
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11-28-2017 09:18 PM |
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BAMANBLAZERFAN
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RE: UAB discussing agreement to keep rural hospital open
Keep in mind that there are two separate state supported medical schools in Alabama so both should be involved in any effort to come to the aid of rural hospitals. Perhaps UAB north of a certain line and USA south of that line.
At last count, there are about 20 of Alabama's rural hospitals that have already closed or are in immediate danger of closing. In several counties, an expectant mother must plan on driving at least an hour to get medical help when she goes into labor.
Alabama's rural auto accident death rate was recently said to be twice the national average - perhaps due to having no close by medical aid for serious injuries. If the ambulance paramedic care isn't enough, you may well die during the hour it can take to get you to a hospital, many of which don't have trauma units or doctors on site 24/7.
Many of those prospective customers of UAB satellite "urgent care centers" would be indigent and be all costs / no pay patients. (Keep in mind that Children's Hospital in B'ham averages 70% medicaid for its patient loads) When the Jeffco Commission terminated oncology care at Cooper Green, my 49 year old daughter was shifted to UAB as a charity patient for three days in the ICU. After one day in a regular room she was sent home and two days later died.
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11-28-2017 10:57 PM |
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BAMANBLAZERFAN
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RE: UAB discussing agreement to keep rural hospital open
If you think there is a medical and hospital problem this year, wait until "the other shoes fall" in 2018 as thousands of poor citizens lose the "CHIPS" child and pregnant women medical insurance program beginning on January 1st. According to an article in the BBJ, it will all start unravelling after the first of the new year. Alabama isn't the only state to suffer, but since it didn't expand Medicaid, it starts at an already lower point than many other states.
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12-20-2017 02:29 AM |
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mixduptransistor
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RE: UAB discussing agreement to keep rural hospital open
One aspect to this is that it's probably better to keep some of these facilities open locally rather than have the load of those patients start loading into the major hospitals in the larger cities. People who need to go to the hospital in Camden are going to go anyway, even if they have to drive to Montgomery to do it. One of the Baptist hospitals in Montgomery is already an 'affiliate' of UAB anyway
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12-20-2017 09:41 AM |
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BAMANBLAZERFAN
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RE: UAB discussing agreement to keep rural hospital open
This winter's Flu crisis has given us a preview of what could happen in a state where hospital care is growing more scarce. Until followup studies are done, we will not know for sure which deaths in Alabama are due to lack of nearby hospital care or reluctance to take preventive measures - like vaccinations (like many reports about auto deaths are still followed by "they were not wearing seat belts").
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02-04-2018 02:52 PM |
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C-Finder
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RE: UAB discussing agreement to keep rural hospital open
Rural clinics should have been useful right now
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09-16-2021 10:30 AM |
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