Rep. Daniel Pae (R-Lawton) and Rep. Arturo Alonso Sandoval (D-Oklahoma City) spoke Thursday, Oct. 10, before the House Public Health Committee about the challenges facing rural Oklahomans. sponsored an interim study on current medical issues.
“A strong health care system is the backbone of a healthy economy, but if we fail to invest in local health care, we are failing our fellow Oklahomans,” Peh said. “If we don't provide adequate resources today, rural hospitals will continue to close their doors. Unless we ignore the problem or take targeted investment and action, these challenges will simply go away.” That’s not true.”
“This interim study sheds light on current medical challenges and steps that can be taken immediately to make a big difference in the next session,” said Alonso Sandoval. “As a representative for an urban district, I have seen parts of cities face similar health care access issues as rural areas. This study highlights the importance of providing comprehensive solutions that ensure all Oklahomans have access to quality health care. It has been.”
According to the Oklahoma Hospital Association (OHA), Oklahoma's per capita health spending in 2023 was $9,444, compared to $10,191 per capita in the United States.
OHA President and CEO Rich Rasmussen spoke about the operational challenges facing hospitals, noting that total expenses in 2023 were $2 billion higher than before the pandemic. He attributed the increase to higher labor costs, including contract labor costs, and higher prices for utilities, medicines, and consumables.
“The vast majority of hospitals have drawn down their reserves to cover operating costs,” Rasmussen said.
Sean McAvoy, executive director of primary care services for the Comanche County Hospital Authority, said there are several reasons health care providers choose not to go to rural areas.
McAvoy said many rural areas lack facilities that meet medical standards, require new medical facilities to be built, and have a small workforce, so many health care providers are hiring new people. He said that could be costly. Additionally, McAvoy said fewer employees in rural areas means fewer people receive employer-sponsored care, which typically results in better rates being paid to providers.
McAvoy said transportation is a challenge in rural areas, especially for older adults, but telemedicine is becoming an increasingly valuable tool in addressing specific medical concerns. He also pointed out that mobile clinics are a good option to quickly expand health care in rural areas, but said mobile clinics usually have operational costs.
Melissa Alvillar, director of nursing at Comanche County Memorial Hospital, said Oklahoma ranks 49th in the nation in health care outcomes.
“Hospitals like ours are willing to grow and add beds to facilitate the care that rural settings need, but we need the financial support to support that,” Albilar said. said. She said health care workers need support from lawmakers to provide Oklahomans with the care they deserve.
“We have the ability to be higher than 49th in the medical field,” Albilar said.
He told attendees that it is difficult to get people to join and stay in the health care workforce, given the rise in physical assaults and intimidation against health care providers. , said the cost of staff salaries and benefits to retain employees is “through the roof.” Budgets for hospitals and clinics will be further squeezed.
Dr. Mark Woodring, vice chairman of the Oklahoma Rural Health Association Board of Directors, highlighted the recent groundbreaking of a new rural hospital in Tillman County. Since Memorial Hospital and Physicians Group in Frederick closed in 2016, residents have had to drive 30 minutes to an hour to receive hospital-quality care. Funding for the new hospital comes in part from Congressional appropriations of federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds.
Based on the latest data, Woodring said, “a large portion of Oklahoma is in a medical professional shortage area.” One of his proposals to improve rural health outcomes is creating a pilot program for rural health opportunity zones or providing state income tax exemptions or credits to relocating health care providers. That was it.
“Perhaps there is an additional incentive not to pursue a higher-paying specialty,” Woodring said. “They certainly know primary care, but their competition probably doesn't pay as well as cardiac surgeons or orthopedic surgeons.”
