A reduction in patient admissions and declining reimbursements led last week to the elimination of 26 positions at Highland Medical Center in Scottsboro, Ala.
Highland Medical Center CEO Dr. Lonnie Albin said in a statement the hospital is dealing with the same financial battles other rural hospitals face.
“In 2015, the state of Alabama chose not to expand Medicaid, which would have allowed more coverage for uninsured in Jackson County,” Albin said. “Under the Affordable Care Act, Medicaid expansion was intended to offset Medicare payment reductions included in the law.”
In the face of those challenges, the job cuts were necessary in order to “maintain and improve hospital facilities, stay on track with the latest health care technologies, and sustain compliance and regulatory requirements.”
“These cuts have to be made,” he said.