The doors are locked once again at the former Fort Scott Mercy Hospital Emergency Room. Ascension Via Christi closed them on December 20, 2023, after four years of service. This following AVC’s announcement that they experienced “a decline in visits and …. other economic challenges,” according to a press release.
December 20: Ascension Via Christi Closes Emergency Department in Fort Scott
Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas in Fort Scott has been preparing for the Ascension Via Christ Emergency Department departure by recruiting more providers, planning more training, and purchasing additional supplies.
CHC in Fort Scott provides care to about 125 to 150 people daily in its Walk-In Care department, which is part of the center at 2322 S. Main, Krista Postai, CEO of CHC/SEK said.
The Fort Scott Walk-In Care department sees people from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. seven days a week.
Editors note: Taken from the CHC Facebook page
All CHC/SEK Walk-In Care locations will close at 4 p.m. on Christmas Eve (Sunday, Dec. 24.)
All CHC/SEK locations will be closed on Christmas Day (Monday, Dec. 25). Normal hours of operation will resume on Tuesday, Dec. 26.
Postai said after visiting with the AVC administration she found that “their late evening/late night volume… was minimal,” It was then determined to keep their Walk-In Care hours as established.
“All our clinics are accustomed to having individuals walk in with serious problems (e.g. having a heart attack) and we are going to anticipate more and are preparing for these situations,” Posai said.
“We have been working to ensure that in addition to the medical provider ( a Nurse Practitioner or Physicians Assistant) ), there is always a more experienced registered nurse on duty and we have been recruiting for additional RNs for that purpose,” she said. “We have evaluated staff skill levels, supplies, and other resources and will provide additional training and supplies as necessary. We already have lab and diagnostic imaging (including CT scanning) and excellent clinical staff in place.”
“We have also met with local law enforcement and Emergency Medical Service staff and are working with them to coordinate care for patients, as well as visiting with Via Christi staff and Dr. Stebbins (their ER physician director) to discuss opportunities for closer collaboration on our referrals down to Pittsburg,” she said.
“We have reached out to Amberwell Health after reading of their interest in potentially staffing the ER and urged them to connect with us on their next visit to Fort Scott,” she said. “Unfortunately, we have yet to meet with them.”
“The concept of participating in the new Rural Emergency Hospital program was researched, but it was determined that only hospitals were eligible and, at this point in time, it is unlikely that will change,” she said.
“We are indeed very sorry to see Ascension Via Christi withdraw from Fort Scott, but understand there are other factors influencing their decision,” she said. “We have urged them to reconsider if these matters get resolved but recognize that southeast Kansas is not a major market for Ascension.”
Bourbon County EMS
Bourbon County EMS Director Teri Hulsey said “AVC closing is sad for the community, but we are fully staffed and ready for any call. We have six full-time paramedics and six full-time Emergency Medical Technicians and several part-time.”
“The only change will be transport times,” Hulsey said.
Cardiac patients will be transported to AVC in Pittsburg. Moms about to give birth can go to Nevada Regional Medical Center in Missouri or Pittsburg AVC. “It’s the patient’s choice,” Hulsey said.
“We have two first-out ambulances when a call comes, those go out,” Hulsey said. “For trauma (car wreck, a stroke, fall out of a tree) if we can get a helicopter either Joplin, MO or Overland Park Regional or Kansas University Medical Center in the Kansas City area. If a flight is not available, the patient will be transported.”
The Bourbon County EMS has seven ambulances that are supplied with “everything we need,” Hulsey said.