Sturgis Hospital in Michigan has closed its doors after more than 100 years of serving patients in rural St. Joseph County. The hospital cited “years of ongoing financial challenges” affecting rural health care providers as the reason for the closure.

Rural Health Care Crisis

The closure of Sturgis Hospital is a symptom of a broader crisis in rural health care. Health care experts warn that the shutdown could be the first of more rural hospital closures in Michigan. The hospital had 84 licensed beds and about 300 employees before shutting down.

Former Sturgis Hospital nurse Beth Kelley worked at the facility for 32 years. Kelley said the hospital’s small-community environment was a major part of its identity. “I like the small hospital atmosphere,” Kelley said. “I know this is maybe a little cliché, but it’s like family.”

Impact on Patients and Employees

The closure of Sturgis Hospital will have a significant impact on patients and employees in the area. Ambulances will now have to travel farther to transport patients, which will take longer and put a strain on emergency services. Nearby hospitals in Three Rivers, Coldwater, and LaGrange, Indiana, are now among the closest alternatives for emergency care.

Health care officials also said some low-income patients could face additional challenges because Michigan Medicaid patients may have restrictions on receiving care across state lines. Dr. Andrea Wendling, a family physician and senior associate dean for academic affairs at Michigan State University’s College of Human Medicine, said rural hospitals are under increasing financial pressure.

Wendling said fewer patients receiving preventive care can lead to more emergency visits and higher costs. She worries the Sturgis closure could signal more shutdowns ahead. “This is the first of more closings that we’re going to see over the next few years” in Michigan, Wendling said.

Original reporting: WOWO News/Talk (Fort Wayne) — read the source article.