Another rural hospital has closed, this time in western Oklahoma,reports The Times Record. Sayre Memorial Hospital in Sayre, Oklahoma, abruptly shut its doors on Monday. The facility blamed “continual financial strain.” Oklahoma’s GOP leaders have refused to expand Medicaid, leading to a drop in income for many hospitals across the state.
Sayre’s economy has also been hit due to the closure of a prison and the decline in oil and gas revenues. The 31-bed, nonprofit community hospital ceased all operations at 3:30 p.m. Monday.
Craig Jones, president of the Oklahoma Hospital Association, called the closing “a tremendous loss.” He added, “We urge Oklahoma lawmakers to accept all available funding for health care in our state.” Hospitals in states that have refused federal funding, such as Kansas and Oklahoma, have seen a number of rural hospital closures.