Hughes Springs’ clinic to close April 30; leaves city without medical facilities

By Marlene J. Bohr
mbohr@steelcountrybee.com
    
News broke Feb. 24, about Good Shepherd Medical Center is closing three of its Cass County facilities, thus leaving the city of Hughes Springs without a clinic. Good Shepherd Medical Associates Family Health Center, formerly Glenn-Garrett Clinic, will close its offices at 201 E. Second St. in Hughes Springs as of April 30.
Also closing will be the Good Shepherd Medical Center hospital at 404 N. Kaufman in Linden and the clinic at 402 N. Kaufman.
“Since the acquisition of the Linden hospital, GSHS has incurred operating losses totaling over $12 million,” said Steve Altmiller, President and CEO of Good Shepherd Health System. “Average daily patient census has been less than five, and average emergency room visits have been less than one patient per hour. Even with community support, investment in quality personnel and equipment, patient activity was not at a sustainable level. This was the basis for this decision.
“The Good Shepherd Health System has owned and operated Good Shepherd in Linden, a 25-bed Critical Access Hospital serving a primarily rural population, since 2005. Capital investments have exceeded $6 million, and Good Shepherd has also made a significant investment in time, people and resources to maintain a much-improved hospital and emergency room over the past nine years. Factors leading to this decision include Medicare/Medicaid reimbursement cuts to hospitals, pending loss of Critical Access Hospital status, a 2-percent cut in Medicare reimbursements due to the federal sequester and low patient usage.”

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