NOBLE HEALTH TO EXPLORE REOPENING ACUTE CARE HOSPITAL IN FORT SCOTT KANSAS
Editor’s note: Rob Harrington, Bourbon County Economic Director, commented on the press release: “My organization along with the County and City have been talking about this project for the last month. We are excited to see this move forward and are hopeful that the results of the feasibility study will be positive.”
June 25, 2021 Kansas City, MO.
Noble Health Corp announced today that it will explore the possibility of reopening the acute care hospital facility in Fort Scott, Kansas. The Kansas City company has engaged in a Cooperative Agreement with Bourbon County to conduct a feasibility study that could lead to the reopening of the hospital that closed in December of 2018.
Noble Health recently acquired two hospitals and a series of clinics in Central Missouri: Audrain County Community Hospital and Callaway County Community Hospital. Both acquisitions happened between August of 2020 and March of 2021.
“We recognize and support the need for hometown healthcare in rural communities,” said Don Peterson Executive Chairman of Noble Health. “We understand the significant negative impact on local communities and citizens when their hospital closes. And we intend to work with the citizens of Bourbon County to evaluate the opportunity to restore a once vibrant and valued hospital to the local community.”
“While we are optimistic about our engagement with Noble Health, we recognize that reopening the hospital is a significant undertaking,” said Rob Harrington Economic Development Director for Bourbon County.” Harrington went on to say that the engagement with Noble is to conduct a broad feasibility study that will take a few months to complete. “At the end of the study Noble will have determined whether or not reopening the hospital makes economic sense. We hope they decide to reopen it.”
The feasibility study is similar to the engagement Noble Health undertook before they acquired the hospital in Audrain County Missouri. That work took 6 months before Noble entered into a definitive agreement and purchased the hospital.
ABOUT NOBLE HEALTH CORPORATION
Noble Health Corporation’s mission is to provide high-quality medical care that addresses the needs of the rural communities they serve. The goal: to serve the communities and their residents with comprehensive, high-quality medical services delivered at reasonable prices close to home. Headquartered in Kansas City, MO, Noble Health Corporation owns and operates rural acute care hospitals, and multi-specialty and primary care clinics.
My husband and I are both retired and recently moved to Fort Scott area, it has been a concern for us to where we would go to the hospital is the need arises. Joplin is a little far same with KC Pittsburg, maybe, it would be great if we could have stay close to home.
I think it needs to b reopened, because of the distance to and from KC, Joplin, Pittsburg and Iola. Folks on SSI along with Veterans only get so much a month, so now they have to worry abt gas, and those rising prices to get to one of those places for treatment. I feel it would b a thing to do.
Noble Health has been in Missouri with two different hospitals. During this time they have failed to pay bills, failed to pay vendors and now failed to pay employees. There inability to provide true leadership and compassion continues to be evident with their smoke screen tactics on financial and well being of either facility. I can not in good faith support the organization that says one thing then does the opposite. Nor would I recommend them to be a perspective owner of any new endeavors. They present that they are here for the community, receive large sums of money and walk away. They pocketed and the community lost out!!