Parson could sign off on providing critical funding for rural Missouri hospitals

Some businesses in rural, small-town Missouri have a hard time staying open. 

The same is true for hospitals and if they close down, patients might have to drive further to go to the ER. 

A bill awaiting a decision from Governor Mike Parson would provide an extra source of income for those hospitals just barely staying afloat. 

House Speaker Pro Tem Mike Henderson says his bill would allow these hospitals to choose if they want to become a rural emergency hospital, and if they do, they would qualify for an additional three-million dollars a year in federal cash.

According to Henderson:  “We want to make sure that these people who live in these rural areas have the health care in a reasonable amount of time available to them. And so that was the focus is to try to make sure that we’re giving the options to some of these rural hospitals that would give them the things they need to make sure they’re staying open and meeting the needs of these people in the community.” 

They would have to meet certain standards to become a rural emergency hospital.