Letter to the Editor

It’s nice to have a hospital in every rural county in USA, as our own Lewis County, but economics & logistics are huge obstacles. Economics: Lewis County’s patients are mostly on federal healthcare with very low medical reimbursements that do not support standing hospital’s huge costs of 24/7 of operation.

It needs at least $1.2m/ yr to pay 4 Internal medicine ( Hospitalist) physicians, in addition to two ER physicians, staff, lab&X- ray machine. The volume of patients in all Lewis County& others does not support such financial expense without federal subsidy every year. Logistics: You can’t have a hospital within 35 miles from another hospital & most importantly, hospital must be accredited to get reimbursement from CMS.

Last year, I had a red sclera in my right eye after an eye lens transplant & I went to Maury Regional. The ER physician did his diagnosis & said, “I have to transport you right now to St. Thomas Hospital or Vanderbilt.” Why? Because Maury Regional didn’t have an opthalmologist after 5 p.m. to take off the temporary lens after the eye lens transplant & ER Physicians are not licensed to do such procedures.

Had Lewis county could support a hospital, capitalists would have been turning every stone on Earth to have one right here in Lewis County. Running a hospital in rural areas is a huge financial task & most rural hospitals close after few years of operation. Now, what is the optimal solution? Lewis Health Center will be equipped by an FNP to diagnose cases from 5 p.m. to 8 a.m. & send the urgent ones to nearby hospitals. Federal & state grants are available for such healthcare needs to cover costs of after hours healthcare. Final thoughts: Tennessee’s ($62k/yr)below nat’l household income of $71k/yr & Lewis County’s income is even lower. Lewis County needs a manufacture base to raise incomes & attract talents to afford a hospital. You can’t have a hospital in a county where county government ( taxpayers money) is the largest employer, followed by Walmart.

Monier Ibrahim,PhD.

110 Dr. Ibrahim Lane

Summertown TN 38483