The recent news about the Fulton Medical Center has locals talking.
On Tuesday, University of Missouri Health Care officials told Fulton Medical Center officials it will sell back its 35 percent minority interest. In the operating agreement, the procedure for that was defined, an MU Health Care official said.
County and city officials have been meeting with hospital representatives about the center's monetary losses. In December 2014, MU Health Care and NueHealth LLC (previously Nueterra) acquired what was then known as the Callaway Community Hospital. NueHealth, a private, for-profit company, had a 65-percent stake in the venture while the university partner had a 35-percent stake.
Since then, Callaway County Presiding Commission Gary Jungermann said the hospital has lost money due to nonpayment by indigent patients. At the meetings, attendees floated the idea of establishing a hospital district to support the hospital through tax dollars.
Here's what area residents have to say. Answers have been edited for length.
WARREN ROSENSTENGEL
Q. If you had a health emergency, would you go to FMC or elsewhere?
A. Right now, my main doctor is in Jefferson City. I think they're associated with the new hospital over there, St. Mary's. If the ambulance came for me, I think I'd pay whatever it cost to get to St. Mary's.
Q. How do you feel about the potential for local tax dollars supporting the privately owned hospital?
A. I'm a conservative, so I'd probably have to have more information on that. It just depends on how valuable the facility is.
Q. How important is it to have a hospital here in town?
A. I don't think the facility is suitable for this size of town. Fulton is stuck right in the middle of the triangle of Jefferson City and Columbia. My son is on dialysis now, so it would be nice if there was a small medical facility in town where he could do that.
MYRTLE FARRINGTON
Q. If you had a health emergency, would you go to FMC or elsewhere?
A. I go to Columbia all the time - to Boone Hospital.
Q. How important is it to have a hospital here in town?
A. I think it's fairly important to have a hospital here in town, because some people do use it.
JOEY RIEK
Q. If you had a health emergency, would you go to FMC or elsewhere?
A. I would rather go to Columbia at MU. (FMC doesn't) have the equipment or really just the resources, the staff.
Q. How do you feel about the potential for local tax dollars supporting the privately owned hospital?
A. I hope a bill (ordinance) like that would pass.
Q. How important is it to have a hospital here in town?
A. Absolutely. I've been through my own situations and traumatic events. Just because there's other small towns around here doesn't mean we don't deserve that quality of health care.
PAUL McEWEN
Q. If you had a health emergency, would you go to FMC or elsewhere?
A. I'd head to Columbia. They have more options, better options.
Q. How do you feel about the potential for local tax dollars supporting the privately owned hospital?
A. That's not something that needs to happen. I don't think it will happen. I wouldn't vote for it.
Q. How important is it to have a hospital here in town?
A. I think it's important to have a hospital in town, especially when we grow in September through May. I think there needs to be fiscal responsibility on the part of Nue (Health).
DOTTIE ALLEN
Q. If you had a health emergency, would you go to FMC or elsewhere?
A. I've had a health crisis before and gone to FMC. If it's serious, they'll send you somewhere else, but they'll stabilize you first. I had appendicitis in January, and they sent me (elsewhere).
Q. How do you feel about the potential for local tax dollars supporting the privately owned hospital?
A. I'm not real keen on that.
Q. How important is it to have a hospital here in town?
A. We have enough population here that we should have something. I work at a residential care center with 70 people. FMC is the first place we'd take them.
RYAN POWELL
Q. If you had a health emergency, would you go to FMC or elsewhere?
A. Somewhere else, like Jefferson City.
Q. How do you feel about the potential for local tax dollars supporting the privately owned hospital?
A. I think they need to uses taxes for other things than a hospital. We could spend it better on roads and infrastructure. Or, you hear about the river running through Fulton being contaminated. Why couldn't they clean that up?
Q. How important is it to have a hospital here in town?
A. It's important in a way, because the nearest hospital is 45 minutes away in Columbia or Jefferson City.