We posted a rumor back in March (https://opengov.media/index.php/2024/03/25/clinic-to-be-purchased/) about the Clinic being purchased by the hospital despite running since 1944 independently and many McCook citizens have received a letter confirming that rumor recently. It was also in the paper last month. The Community Hospital’s contract to acquire the assets of the McCook Clinic will take effect on January 1st.The move has some local employees worried about a cutting of hours and citizens worried about rising costs to clinic fees.
CEO Troy Bruntz stated that this is going to improve healthcare – as they’re going to redesign the clinic and have three new additional providers by 2026.
Although according to Sidecar Health, Nebraska is the 10th state with the fewest rural hospital closures, McCook joins one of several failing clinics in the state including Sydney and Chappell when Regional West Health Services closed last year in both locations.
In 2020, Walmart, CVS and Walgreens were all putting clinics in their stores. Now 100’s of those are now closing as the big businesses are realizing just how hard it is to run a clinic due to inflation, rising costs and the constant acquisition of labor.
CVS’ Minute Clinic
It is lucky this clinic was right next to a hospital that could bail them out of troubled water as we all know anything closing is bad for the community. Maybe McDonald’s can bail out the other one if it goes south.
I got your medicine right here. Whoops.
Tesla’s latest pickup was a huge redesign also which hasn’t proven to be a people-pleaser.
Sometimes it’s better to fix the problems than slap a new coat of paint on it every time there’s a board meeting
