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Local Community Hospital Faces Healthcare Trends and Struggles
Warrensburg, MO (February 6, 2018)—With recent healthcare trends and methods, as well as the growth of corporate competition, many community hospitals are facing financial and organizational challenges. In fact, there have been 83 rural hospitals that have closed between January 2010 and January 2018, according to research from the North Carolina Rural Health Research Program.
Western Missouri Medical Center (WMMC) has been no exception to these challenges. In an effort to ensure that the medical center is a longstanding care provider in the greater community, WMMC has been forced to carefully evaluate current organizational processes, structure and finances.
“Providing our community with quality healthcare for the years to come is always our priority,” says Darinda Reberry, President and Chief Executive Officer. “We have not been immune to the ever-growing challenges in the healthcare industry and therefore we have made tough decision in response to the financial struggles of our past in order to establish a strong foundation for the future of our area’s health.”
Organizational leadership evaluated all areas of business in order to determine a cost savings strategy before making the decision to reduce staffing by 41 positions. This process included accounting for attrition, unfilled or open positions.
“This was not a decision that we wanted to have to make,” says Reberry. “Our team worked diligently to reduce operating expenses in other avenues to eliminate as few positions as possible. By eliminating and combining roles, we were able to avoid extreme hour reductions of all our employees.”
Other operating expense reductions include the evaluation and reduction of contracted services, the closing of Western Missouri Family Healthcare – Holden, effective March 3, 2018, and the restructure of organizational leadership last fall.
“These decisions were difficult for all, but were necessary to strengthen us financially for years to come, allowing WMMC to continue doing what we love – making a difference in the lives of our patients and greater community,” says Reberry.
About Western Missouri Medical Center
Western Missouri Medical Center (WMMC) is a fully-accredited acute care county medical center located in Warrensburg, MO. WMMC prides itself in emergency care, obstetrics, orthopedic and general surgery, family healthcare, internal medicine, outpatient clinics, ambulatory care, rehabilitation services and more. Inpatient services include medical, surgical, intensive, obstetrical, orthopedic, pediatric and skilled nursing care, as well as a wide range of therapeutic and diagnostic outpatient services. This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer. Learn more at WMMC.com.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Tara Carlyle
System Director of Communications & Development
(660) 262-7497