The also race has attracted two newcomers not associated with the McMurry slate. “There are issues with recruitment because most doctors ask for a guaranteed contract for the first few years, but there are ways we could try to address that.” “It was not our role in the previous generation of management that the board would be responsible for that, but Christus hasn’t necessarily been doing it,” he said. ![]() Martin Gilliland, a local physician that works with the hospital and an incumbent member of the board, said the district can and should address physician recruitment, but its role as a landlord for Christus complicates its ability to ensure more services. The area also has seen a dwindling number of physicians as doctors retire or move their practices. It announced in December the search for another provider. In October, the health system discontinued orthopedic procedures due to the departure of its sole care provider in that department. ![]() The assessment didn’t break out the number of patients receiving obstetric services at Jasper Memorial Hospital, but it did show inpatient admissions were vastly outweighed by emergency visits - and the rate was growing. “We have less than a third of the services than we did a few years ago.”Ĭhristus Health System decided last summer to end obstetric and birthing services at the hospital, citing changing demand at the facility and the cost of services for rural hospitals.Īccording to a 2017 community health-needs assessment from Christus, obstetrics made up 14.7% of inpatient admissions in the three Southeast Texas hospitals it operated at the time. “The big thing right now has to be hospital services,” he said. McMurry said he wanted to gather a slate of candidates with experience and perspective to handle what he says should be two of the biggest issues for members of the board: retaining health services at the Jasper Memorial Hospital and recruiting physicians. Those decisions and the question of the role the district’s board should play in improving access to care have become increasingly hot topics since services like obstetrics were dropped late last year, inspiring one sitting member to gather a slate of candidates in hope for change.Ĭandidates Linda Templeton, Laura Moore, Charles Warren, Rodney Noseworthy and Terry Napper have been appearing on billboards and signs paid for by physician Ron McMurry, a board member elected in 2018.
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