Concerns mount surrounding closing hospital

Fulton officials continue quest for way to keep FMC open

Fulton Medical Center
Fulton Medical Center

Questions continue to accrue after the Fulton Medical Center partner/owner NueHeath announced plans Monday to close the 37-bed facility by Sept. 22.

What happens if there is an accident at the nuclear power plant in Callaway County? What if a firefighter or law enforcement officer is badly injured? What if a prisoner or Fulton State Hospital employee is hurt?

While not every question has an answer yet, Callaway County Sheriff Clay Chism said his office has always used several emergency rooms for deputy injuries.

"For instance, deputies working the Holts Summit area who've needed emergency medical treatment have been taken to Capital Region or St. Mary's hospitals in Jefferson City," Chism said. "Any traumatic or serious injury has resulted in direct transport to the University Hospital in Columbia, given they have a nationally accredited trauma center."

Chism said FMC has been used many times for emergency medical services.

"The most cumbersome barrier with losing the Fulton Medical Center involves all area law enforcement officers now having to transport arrested subjects to Mexico, Columbia or Jefferson City hospital emergency rooms to receive medical clearance, if required, prior to the arrested subject being taken to the Callaway County Jail," he added. "We have a 'fit for confinement' policy in place at the Callaway County Jail that requires arrested subjects being medically cleared, if needed, at a hospital before incarceration at the jail."

Chism said arrested subjects who must receive a "fit for confinement" clearance are those with injuries or significant preexisting conditions. Most arrested subjects do not require this kind of clearance, he added.

Chism also said if there was a medical event at the nuclear power plant, Callaway County EMS would follow standard policies and procedures to determine the destination of patient transport.

"Should there be a major disaster in the county, outside the city limits of Fulton, Holts Summit or North Jefferson City, the sheriff would be the law enforcement command," he added. "Inside the cities of Fulton, Holts Summit or North Jefferson City, the respective police chiefs would be the law enforcement commander, and the sheriff would offer resources as needed."

Eye to the future

Fulton officials discussed their concerns about the hospital's closure Tuesday evening; they were joined by Dr. Neal Meyer, a physician with Columbia Radiology.

"We've been there since 1999," Meyer said of his group's association with Fulton Medical Center and its predecessors. "We want to continue to be here."

He said his group wants to participate in discussions about how to continue providing services to Callaway County. Current discussions include Fulton, Callaway County and Callaway Chamber of Commerce officials, and some hospital consulting firms also have participated.

"We would like to be at the table," Meyer added, explaining services such as radiology, surgery and hospital beds go hand-in-hand with emergency services. "There's a good need for all of those basic services. It does take all parts of a hospital to pay for a hospital."

Another model, perhaps new to Missouri, might work, as well.

"A lot of places have free-standing emergency services," Meyer said.

The hospital, now called Fulton Medical Center, was purchased in December 2014 in a partnership between NueHealth (65 percent ownership by a group of investors from Leawood, Kansas) and University of Missouri Health Care (35 percent ownership). MU Health Care, under the operating agreement, was supposed to operate FMC, but the same operating agreement allowed MU to sell its ownership shares back to FMC LLC, a move announced July 18. On Monday, NueHealth officials announced plans to close the hospital entirely by Sept. 22.

Fulton Medical Center competes with seven other hospitals, all within an hour's drive. Most are in or near Columbia: University Hospital, Boone Hospital, a VA hospital, and MU's Women's and Children's Hospital. Other hospitals include St. Mary's Hospital and Capital Region Medical Center in Jefferson City and SSM Health-Audrain in Mexico.

Callaway County has one ambulance district. In 2012, 20 percent of all ambulance calls went to FMC (formerly Callaway Community Hospital) while 49 percent went to Columbia and 25 percent to Jefferson City.

So far this year, only 11 percent of ambulances traveled to the Fulton Medical Center. Sixty-one percent traveled to Columbia; 24 percent went to Jefferson City.

Fulton Mayor LeRoy Benton has been on the front lines in the discussion to keep the hospital viable. Like many, he said he's disappointed an agreement couldn't be reached with the hospital's current ownership, but he's not giving up.

"We really just could not keep them from doing that," he said of the announcement to close the facility. ""We're just really disappointed, and the employees are very disappointed."

There will be several job fairs this week - one at the hospital with SSM Health from 1-5 p.m. today and another from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Friday with MU Heath Care and Capital Region Medical Center at Country Hearth Inn, 556 Amerihost Drive in Fulton.

"We want to remind people that Missouri Job (Center) is working in conjunction with the chamber," Benton said of other employment services.

Missouri Job Center is next door to the Callaway Chamber office, at 512 Market St. in Fulton.

Benton said the hospital's closure is a setback economically for the community, which has made strides recently.

"We'll just continue to move forward," he said.

City and county officials have already met with one consultant.

"I was also contacted by another one today and contacted by another group interested in the hospital," Benton said. "If we can have a continuation of health care, that's our goal."