Callaway County officials are trying to find a way to keep the doors of the Fulton Medical Center open, at least in some form, according to Bruce Hackmann, economic development director, Callaway Chamber of Commerce.
"We're exploring options," he said Monday afternoon after learning the hospital's owners had announced a shutdown earlier in the day.
Just after noon Monday, an announcement the hospital would close was issued by Weston Owen, public relations specialist for NueHealth. NueHealth owns 65 percent of the Fulton Medical Center.
Late last week, officials at MU Health Care, which owns the other 35 percent, announced they were getting out of the operating agreement with Fulton Medical Center LLC.
Owen said in his press release the hospital will close no later than Sept. 22.
Hackmann said officials, including those from Fulton and Callaway County, were meeting Monday morning before the announcement, trying to find a solution. They met with a consultant from Newpoint Healthcare Advisors, a national health care consulting firm, to explore the feasibility of a contractual relationship with the firm to actively recruit a new operator for the medical center, Hackmann said.
"It's very important to convey to the public that we're working on this, working for a solution," Hackmann said. "We need to find at least a short-term solution that would prevent an interruption in services."
He said Newpoint specializes in working with county hospitals to find sustainable health care solutions. In 2011, the firm negotiated the sale of a struggling Audrain Medical Center in Mexico to SSM Health.
Hackmann also issued a statement in conjunction with Fulton city and county officials: "While we are deeply disappointed by NueHealth's decision to close the Fulton Medical Center by Sept. 22, the City of Fulton, the Callaway County Commission and the Callaway Chamber of Commerce have already
intensified our efforts to identify both short- and long-term solutions that could prevent an interruption in health services and determine a sustainable health care model for the future," a joint statement issued by public officials said. "The loss of 158 jobs and the impact that would have on families is paramount in our thoughts and actions. We are committed to finding a way to preserve the level of health care our residents have come to expect."
Reasons for closure
The NueHealth press release stated the decision to close FMC was based on a number of factors, some mirroring comments made last week by MU Health Care, including:
Low patient volumes that made financial sustainability impossible.
Extensive repairs and upkeep required to the physical plant.
Inability to expand FMC to provide additional operating revenues.
Inability to provide a new care delivery model due to the certificate of need application denial by the Missouri Health Facilities Review Committee.
"Our first priority today, and in the next two months, will be ensuring continuity of care for our patients and supporting the employees of Fulton Medical Center," Mike Powell, CEO of Fulton Medical Center, said in the news release.
He continued: "We are deeply grateful for the dedicated efforts of Mayor LeRoy Benton and the Fulton City Council, as well as Presiding Commissioner Gary Jungermann and the County Commission, who for several months have worked tirelessly with us to pursue every possible path in an effort to make the hospital sustainable."
The 158 FMC employees were notified of the closing earlier Monday in meetings that took place at the hospital, Owen said. There are 124 full-time employees and 34 part-timers.
Dan Tasset, chairman of NueHealth, said in another news release that helping those employees find new jobs was a goal.
"We have partnered internally to provide priority consideration for open positions within NueHealth facilities," he said.
Fulton Medical Center, a 48,450-square-foot center, operates as a 37-bed acute care facility, and is the only hospital in Fulton and Callaway County. Fulton Medical Center was purchased in 2014 by FMC LLC, which is a partnership between NueHealth, a health management company based in Leawood, Kansas, and University of Missouri of Health Care in Columbia.