A Tillman County critical access hospital is currently under construction after being closed for eight years. Leadership in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development office says the new facility speaks to the larger focus on housing, health and high speed internet.
Since the Memorial Hospital and Physician Group in Frederick stopped patient care and emergency room services in 2016, people had to drive at least 30 minutes for hospital-level care. But a new hospital, Memorial Health of Tillman County Critical Access Hospital, has broken ground.
Basil Gooden, the undersecretary for USDA Rural Development, said shuttered rural hospitals do not typically reopen.
“I think it’s a renewed lifeline,” Gooden said. “ I mean, I think it’s a game changer.”
Earlier this year, USDA researchers found working-age rural adults die from natural causes at a higher rate than those in urban spaces.
For the past two decades, the gap has gotten bigger with different populations experiencing different rate hikes, according to the report. Some experts say there are many factors including lacking access to healthcare, a shortage of rural physicians and hospitals leading to the disparity.
Gooden said the USDA report provides a roadmap for what the agency should hone in on for health.
“Hopefully, we're trying to collaborate with other people to make sure that we're addressing these issues,” Gooden said. “Especially, that these are preventable health issues that keep being prominent in a lot of rural areas.”
Gooden said the department concentrating on health, high speed internet and housing, which impact health outcomes. In all, the he said the department has invested about $3 billion in the state since the Biden-Harris Administration took office.
For the agency, he said it has the focus of reaching underserved communities.
Federal and local funding going toward the hospital, including loans from USDA programs, according to an Oklahoma State House of Representatives press release. The hospital will serve about 15,000 people and will have emergency rooms, inpatient beds, laboratory, physical therapy, radiology and extra space.
Rep. Trey Caldwell said in the press release the hospital has been a priority for him since he has been in office.
"This is the first time in 50 years that a hospital has been rebuilt after closure, except for one instance in Kansas following a tornado," Caldwell said. "This is a turning point for rural Oklahoma, and I hope it shows other communities that a lot of good can happen when people work together."
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