Eureka Springs Hospital has completed its application to the State of Arkansas and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to change its designation from a critical access hospital to a rural emergency hospital, the hospital said in a news release Tuesday, Nov. 7.

The Eureka Springs Hospital Commission voted to approve the proposed designation change at a special called meeting on Oct. 16. CEO Angie Shaw explained the changes the proposed designation change would bring to the hospital, saying the hospital would eliminate its long-term inpatient and swing bed services.

“This is the model we have been operating under for the past few years,” Shaw said. “It makes sense to change the designation to reflect the services our community is primarily using.”

If the proposed designation change is approved, Shaw said, the hospital would be eligible to receive grant funds and CMS payments specifically earmarked for rural emergency hospitals. That means the hospital can consider expanding its existing outpatient services, Shaw said, and adding new outpatient services.

The hospital’s existing outpatient services include physical therapy, speech therapy, radiology, laboratory and endoscopy surgeries.

“Our community sees a lot of value in our outpatient services, and we do too,” said mrketing director Samantha Jones. “We hope our designation change is approved so we can make these services even better than they are today.”

Jones said the hospital is excited to hear from the community about the type of outpatient services they’d like to see offered locally.

“What services are you driving two hours round-trip to receive?” Jones asked. “Let us know, and we’ll see if we can accommodate you locally.”

Jones said she will keep the community updated every step of the way.

“We get to do what we do because of Eureka Springs, Holiday Island, Berryville, Green Forest and other surrounding rural communities. That’s something we never forget,” Jones said. “This designation change is an investment in our hospital and community on the whole, and we are thankful to the State of Arkansas for making it a possibility for us.”

Shaw and other hospital representatives discussed the proposed move during a meeting of the Arkansas Legislative Council’s Perform Evaluation and Expenditure Review Subcommittee on Tuesday, Nov.

14, in Little Rock.