Rural hospital reimbursement, understaffed facilities and regulations must be improved, U.S. Sen. Doug Jones said during a visit to Lake Martin Community Hospital on Tuesday.
Jones (D-AL) met with community leaders including state Rep. Ed Oliver (R-Dadeville) and Dadeville Mayor Wayne Smith for a luncheon.
kAmy@?6D 42==65 CFC2= 9@DA:E2=D 2?5 962=E942C6 E96 “=:763=@@5 @7 2 4@>>F?:EJ” 2?5 D2:5 E@H?D 5CJ FA H96? E96J =62G6]k^Am
kAm“(6’C6 =@D:?8 CFC2= 9@DA:E2=D 3642FD6 E96J’C6 ?@E 86EE:?8 6?@F89 >@?6J 2?5 E96J’C6 ?@E 86EE:?8 6?@F89 C6:>3FCD6>6?ED 7C@> E96 DE2E6[” y@?6D D2:5] “*@F 42??@E @A6C2E6 :? E96 C65 2?5 6IA64E 2 9@DA:E2= =:<6 E9:D E@ DE2J @A6?[ 2?5 E92E’D ?@E E@ D2J E96J 2C6?’E @A6C2E:?8 :? E96 C65[ 3FE E96 724E @7 E96 >2EE6C :D H6’G6 8@E E@ 7:8FC6 @FE 2 H2J E@ 86E >@C6 C6:>3FCD6>6?ED 4@>:?8 :? H:E9 @FC DE2E6 2?5 7656C2= 5@==2CD E@ 7@=<D H9@ 2C6 D6CG:?8 @FC 4@>>F?:E:6D =:<6 E9:D]”k^Am
kAmu:?5:?8 E96 DH66E DA@E 7@C C68F=2E:@?D 2?5 92G:?8 AC:G2E6 :?DFC2?46 4@>A2?:6D DE6A FA 2?5 96=A H:E9 C6:>3FCD6>6?ED :D H92E y@?6D H2?ED E@ 5@ :? (2D9:?8E@?]k^Am
kAm“%96C6 2C6 2 =@E @7 E9:?8D H6 42? 5@ E@ <:?5 @7 86E C6:>3FCD6>6?ED FA 2?5 C68F=2E:@?D 5@H?[” y@?6D D2:5] “%96C6 ?665D E@ 36 2 =:EE=6 3:E >@C6 6BF:=:3C:F>] %92E’D @?6 @7 E96 E9:?8D E92E x <66A 962C:?8 E9C@F89@FE E9:D 4@?G6CD2E:@? W%F6D52JX]”k^Am
kAmw@>6 962=E942C6 2=D@ ?665D 36EE6C C6:>3FCD6>6?ED[ 244@C5:?8 E@ y@?6D]k^Am
kAm“|@C6 2?5 >@C6 A6@A=6 H2?E 9@>6 962=E942C6[” y@?6D D2:5] “%96J 5@?’E H2?E E@ 36 :? 2 9@DA:E2= :7 E96J 5@?’E 92G6 E@ 36]”k^Am
kAmxGJ rC66< rt~ |:<6 qCF46 D2:5 E96 9@DA:E2= FD65 E@ 5@ |#x D42?D 3FE DE@AA65 3642FD6 :E H2D?’E 36:?8 C6:>3FCD65] k^Am
kAm“~FC 4@DED ?@H 2C6 8C62E6C E92? C6:>3FCD6>6?ED[” qCF46 D2:5] “(6’G6 8@E E@ >2<6 E9@D6 E@F89 49@:46D H96E96C H6 5@ E9@D6 D6CG:46D @C ?@E] p?5 E96? :E 4@>A@F?5D H:E9 @E96C 2C62D[ D@ 7@C E96 t# :? 6DD6?46 H6’C6 AC@G:5:?8 7C66 962=E942C6 2?5 ?@E ;FDE 96C6 3FE 6G6CJH96C6]”k^Am
kAmr9:67 >65:42= @77:46C {66 t?8=2?5 D2:5 A2E:6?ED 2C6 D6?E 6=D6H96C6 3642FD6 E96 9@DA:E2= 42?’E AC@G:56 46CE2:? E6DED 2?5 E96 A2E:6?ED 86E 23D@C365 3J E96 @E96C 724:=:EJ[ 42FD:?8 E96 @C:8:?2= 9@DA:E2= E@ =@D6 >@C6 C6G6?F6]k^Am
kAm“~?6 @7 >J 3:886DE :DDF6D :D E96 :?\ 2?5 @FE\@7\?6EH@C< 56D:8?2E:@? E92E :?DFC2?46 4@>A2?:6D A=246 @? 4@?DF>6CD @7 962=E942C6[” t?8=2?5 D2:5] “&=E:>2E6=J 2446DD :D E96 <6J] xE 5@6D ?@ 8@@5 7@C 2 A2E:6?E E@ 92G6 4@>>6C4:2= :?DFC2?46[ |65:42C6[ |65:42:5[ :7 E96J 5@?’E 92G6 2446DD E@ E96 42C6]”k^Am
kAmp>3F=2?46D 2=D@ =@D6 C6:>3FCD6>6?ED H96? E2<:?8 :?A2E:6?ED E@ @E96C 724:=:E:6D 7@C E96 E6DED[ 244@C5:?8 E@ %2==2A@@D2 r@F?EJ t|$ >2?286C s2??J #@3:?D@?]k^Am
kAms@4E@C 2?5 ?FCD:?8 D9@CE286D 2C6 2=D@ 2? :DDF6 2E CFC2= 9@DA:E2=D 3642FD6 E96J 5@?’E A2J 2D >F49 2D 4:EJ 9@DA:E2=D[ 244@C5:?8 E@ y@?6D] w6 :D H@C<:?8 @? 2 3:== H:E9 $6?] %@55 *@F?8 W#\x}X E@ 86E >@C6 ?FCD6D :? E96 7:6=5]k^Am
kAm“xE’D 2 4@>A=:42E65 AC@3=6> 2?5 E92E’D H92E H2D D@ 8@@5 23@FE =:DE6?:?8 E@ D@ >2?J A6@A=6 96C6 W%F6D52JX[” y@?6D D2:5]k^Am
kAmqCF46 D2:5 E96 {2<6 |2CE:? r@>>F?:EJ w@DA:E2= DE277 :D?’E 2D D9@CE92?565 2D @E96C CFC2= 724:=:E:6D 3FE ?665D 23@FE `_ 7F==\E:>6 5@4E@CD] k^Am
kAm“#6:>3FCD6>6?E :DDF6D 92G6 366? 5C2>2E:42==J =@H6C 6DA64:2==J :? p=232>2 E92? 2?J @E96C A=246 2?5 CFC2= 962=E942C6 92D C62==J E2<6? E96 3CF?E @7 E92E[” qCF46 D2:5] “p?5 E96? 4@>A@F?5 E92E H:E9 2 5@4E@C D9@CE286 2?5 ?FCD6D D9@CE286 2?5 ECJ:?8 E@ 86E E96> :? E96 CFC2= 2C62D]”k^Am
kAm(:E9@FE 5@4E@CD[ E96 9@DA:E2= :D C6=J:?8 @? AC24E:E:@?6C ?FCD6D]k^Am
kAmt?8=2?5 H@C<D e_ E@ fa 9@FCD 2 H66< 2E E96 9@DA:E2= 2?5 D2:5 E92E :D EJA:42= 7@C >@DE CFC2= 5@4E@CD]k^Am
kAm“(96? x’> @77 x’> @77[ H9:49 :D ?:46[” t?8=2?5 D2:5] “|@DE @7 E96 5@4E@CD E92E H@C< :? 724:=:E:6D =:<6 E9:D 2C6 H@C<:?8 e_\A=FD 9@FCD 2 H66<] xE’D ?@E F?FDF2=]”k^Am
kAmy@?6D D2:5 H92E 96 962C5 23@FE |65:42:5 6IA2?D:@?[ 8C2?ED 7@C >2E6C?2= 962=E9 2?5 =@H6C:?8 5CF8 4@DED H:== 8F:56 9:D H@C< :? (2D9:?8E@? 2?5 25565 96 H:== HC:E6 2 =6EE6C E@ r6?E6CD 7@C |65:42C6 2?5 |65:42:5 $6CG:46D 23@FE C6:>3FCD6>6?ED]k^Am
kAm“WxX 2AAC64:2E6 Wy@?6D’X :?G@=G6>6?E 2?5 4@>:?8 5@H? 2?5 E2<:?8 E96 E:>6 E@ =:DE6?[” $>:E9 D2:5]k^Am