The 25-bed critical access hospital announced plans in July to close. The hospital said it’s closing due to financial strain worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The hospital “had been operating on the brink for years and before the COVID-19 crisis, we had not been able to finalize a workable plan to ensure the hospital’s future success,” Southwest Georgia Regional Medical Center CEO Kim Gilman told WFXL Fox. “Once the crisis hit, it simply pushed our hospital past the point of no return.”
The 73-year-old hospital needed new medical equipment and more than $10 million for structural improvements before the pandemic.
COVID-19 was the “death knell,” Southwest Georgia Regional board Chair Steve Whatley told TIME. “That pushed us over the cliff.”
With the closure of Southwest Georgia Regional, Randolph County is the 55th in the state to have no hospitals, according to TIME. The closest hospital is in Eufaula, Ala., about 30 minutes away.
More articles on healthcare finance:
9 hospitals with strong finances
Up to 28 Kentucky hospitals at risk of closure
6 recent hospital credit downgrades
At the Becker's 11th Annual IT + Revenue Cycle Conference: The Future of AI & Digital Health, taking place September 14–17 in Chicago, healthcare executives and digital leaders from across the country will come together to explore how AI, interoperability, cybersecurity, and revenue cycle innovation are transforming care delivery, strengthening financial performance, and driving the next era of digital health. Apply for complimentary registration now.
