LARNED – At a brief stopover in Pawnee County Thursday morning, Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) was not only informed about what Pawnee Valley Community Hospital in Larned has been up to over the past two years, he was also introduced to a locally-prized staff member.
On Aug. 13, Sen. Marshall announced that he would be making stops in all 105 counties in the state to touch base with rural Kansas communities and meet directly with Kansans across all sectors, from rural health care to Main Street business owners, manufacturers and local infrastructure.
Following up on meetings last week, Sen. Marshall informed PVCH officials late Wednesday that he would be in Larned the next morning to meet with administrators and department heads at 9 a.m. “It was originally 120 stops, it’s turned into 150,” Sen. Marshall noted in his opening statement in the PVCH conference room.
“It’s about the strength of Rural Kansas, which a big part is our rural health care,” he said. “I am here to find out what is new, what is improved and what we can do to help.”
PVCH Administrator Melanie Urban, during an overview that included the hospital’s negative experiences with the Medicare Advantage program; successful added programs and technology, 340B drug pricing and provider tax programs and the hospital’s revenue streams, also provided information on community engagement, which included various outreach opportunities into the Larned community.
She also noted that the community is appreciative of the hospital’s food service, prior to introducing the Senator to Sam Lane, director of support services and food services and the cafeteria at the hospital (see attached story, p. ??)
“We feel that Pawnee Valley has been pretty successful around here,” Urban noted. “In the last two years, we’ve gotten to where we can’t just rely on our revenue.
“We’ve grown a lot of services. We’ve brought in wound care, the sleep center, we’ve added to our imaging equipment, kudos to 340B dollars. We focus on diabetes and things like that, as well, and also weight loss.”
Urban also related that PVCH is currently engaged with grant-funded child care centers in the community, as well as a program focused on vaccinations. An upcoming Coffee Hour at the Welcome Inn will address issues with Medicare Advantage.
“One thing that we are struggling with is vaccinations. There is a lot of misinformation out there. A lot of people have sort of changed their tune on that. That puts a lot of burden on hospitals that are trying to get out into the community,” Urban noted.
An upcoming Coffee Hour at the Welcome Inn will address issues with Medicare Advantage. Neither Pawnee Valley or their partner HaysMed is in network with almost any Medicare Advantage program, she explained.
“We are working really hard to make sure that people are educated when they make decisions, because the signup period is coming up for that program.”
Medicare Advantage specific signup is slated to begin Jan. 1 and runs until March 31, 2027.
“As far as critical hospitals are concerned, it acts negatively, because the way it is now on a rural level, prior authorization, denials and the out-of-pocket for some of these patients, they are having problems that they wouldn’t have with Medicare.
“We are glad that you are on the same page with us,” Urban said.
“We’ll keep at it,” Sen. Marshall responded.
