Boyd Memorial Hospital’s CEO is addressing concerns about a move of one of its Rural Health Clinics in Carrollton.
Boyd Memorial officials announced on Monday that the Carrollton Rural Health Clinic at 800 School Street is going to be moving to the new Boyd Wellness Center Building, located at 803 Fifth Street (former IGA location) in Carrollton on October 14th. The rural health clinic will close at its old location on October 12th.
Boyd CEO Stace Holland said in press release on Tuesday that the move boils down to federal guidelines for reimbursement to the hospital. Holland says that the guidelines will not allow a therapy department to be more than 250 yards away from a hospital and be allowed the same reimbursement. By relocating the therapy department to the wellness center, the hospital, he says would lose about a quarter of a million dollars in payments for the same amount of patient care.
Holland says by merging the Rural Health Clinic and the exercise center at the Fifth Street location, it will increase payouts through a cost-based reimbursement through Medicare. The extra money, Holland says, will work towards establishing a Senior Health Program, and allow for the hospital to upgrade and build a new clinic in White Hall.
Holland says that communications about the plans should have been more clear to the public and hopes that it clarifies any confusion and anxiety about the changes to come.