By Bailey Coyle, FOX23.com News Staff
NOWATA, Okla. — Ascension St. John Nowata is officially operating as a Rural Emergency Hospital, a change that keeps 24/7 emergency and outpatient care in the community but ends local inpatient and swing-bed services.
The transition took effect September 2 after the hospital received approval from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
Ascension says patients will continue to have access to 24/7 emergency care, along with outpatient services including radiology and laboratory services.
Patients who need to be hospitalized will be stabilized and transferred to another hospital for specialized or acute inpatient care.
For some Nowata residents, the change is about more than where a patient receives treatment. They say it’s about whether families can afford to travel to see their loved ones.
‘It’s personal’
Nowata resident Will Maddox said he became more involved in the fight to preserve inpatient and swing-bed services after hearing stories from people in the community.
Maddox, who works as a barber, said he heard from eight customers in a two-day period who told him their loved ones had recovered through the hospital’s swing-bed program.
He said those personal experiences are important when considering the future of rural healthcare.
“They don’t come talk to the actual people and know what they’re dealing with,” Maddox said.
Swing beds allow certain rural hospitals to use beds for patients who no longer need acute hospital care but still need additional recovery or rehabilitation before returning home or moving to another level of care.
The Save Our Hospital Committee says losing those beds will create additional challenges for Nowata residents who have limited transportation or financial resources.
Kelly Parsons, a member of the committee, said the group collected about 1,200 signatures on a petition and reached out to state and federal lawmakers in an effort to preserve the services.
Now that the REH conversion is official, Parsons said the group plans to continue advocating for ways to restore inpatient and swing-bed care.
Transportation concerns
Parsons said one of the biggest concerns is the burden placed on families when patients have to leave Nowata for inpatient care.
She said transportation to Bartlesville, Owasso or Tulsa can be difficult for families already struggling financially.
Maddox made a similar point, saying a trip out of town can mean spending money that a family needs for groceries or other necessities.
“A trip to Bartlesville for some people in Nowata, that’s every bit of gas money they had for that week,” Maddox said.
Earl Farris, who lives in Nowata, said he has personally relied on the hospital to care for family members.
Farris said his grandfather spent time at the hospital, and later his father received extended care there.
Because Farris worked in Owasso, he said being able to stop at the Nowata hospital before or after work allowed him to spend time with his father.
He said that would have been much more difficult if his father had been hospitalized farther away.
“It meant the world to me,” Farris said.
Farris said having familiar doctors and nurses nearby also provided comfort for his family.
What Ascension says
In statement sent to Fox23 Ascension St. John Nowata President Tanner Holt said the REH designation will allow the hospital to align its resources with the healthcare needs of the community while maintaining essential services locally.
“Ascension St. John Nowata will absolutely continue to serve Nowata and our surrounding communities,” Holt said.
Ascension says the transition is expected to have minimal impact on employees. The hospital will remain staffed for 24/7 emergency care, and there are no planned layoffs as part of the change.
Ascension also says the hospital’s radiology and laboratory staffing will not change.
The health system said its broader network will continue to provide access to specialized and acute care when patients need it.
Save Our Hospital says the fight isn’t over
The Save Our Hospital Committee released a statement September 4 saying the community has now lost local inpatient and swing-bed care as a result of the conversion.
The committee also said Nowata’s Critical Access Hospital designation and its grandfathered Necessary Provider status are no longer in place.
The group says it will continue pursuing options to restore inpatient and swing-bed services.
One effort involves REH 2.0, proposed legislation the committee says could create a pathway for rural emergency hospitals to regain swing-bed services and address some of the limitations created by the current REH rules.
Parsons said the group plans to continue contacting lawmakers and researching other rural healthcare models.
The committee is also asking other rural communities and residents to contact their representatives and support changes at the federal level.
Despite the loss of inpatient services, Parsons said the group is encouraged that the hospital itself is staying open.
“We’re not going to stop,” Parsons said. “How are we going to get those services back?”
For Nowata residents like Maddox and Farris, the issue comes down to keeping healthcare accessible for a rural community where distance and transportation costs can make a major difference.
“Just be a human being and come sit down with us and talk,” Maddox said. “Just give us the time of day.”
Ascension St. John Nowata says its emergency department and outpatient services will continue operating as the hospital moves forward under the new Rural Emergency Hospital designation.
