Eureka Springs Hospital has received approval from 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 Eureka Springs Hospital Commission voted to approve the designation change at a special called meeting on Oct. 16. Chief executive officer Angie Shaw explained the changes the REH designation brings to the hospital, saying the hospital eliminated its longterm inpatient and swing bed services.
Shaw said the hospital continues to operate its emergency room 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 365 days a year. Additionally, Shaw said, the hospital offers its outpatient services. Those services include radiology, laboratory, speech therapy, physical therapy and endoscopy surgery.
“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.”
Along with human resources director Jodi Edmondson and chief financial officer Cynthia Asbury, Shaw answered questions about the designation change at the Performance Evaluation and Expenditure Review (PEER) Subcommittee of the Arkansas Legislative Council on Nov. 14.
Shaw announced on Nov. 20 that the hospital will receive $4,589,119 in appropriated funds from the State of Arkansas as part of the REH designation. That means the hospital can consider expanding its existing outpatient services, Shaw said, and adding new outpatient services. Shaw said the hospital is now eligible to receive CMS payments specifically earmarked for Rural Emergency Hospitals.
“Our community sees a lot of value in our outpatient services, and we do too,” said marketing director Samantha Jones. “We are happy our designation change was approved so we can make these services even better than they are today.”
Jones said the hospital 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.”
