California hospital to close after CMS revokes critical access status

Willows, Calif.-based Glenn Medical Center plans to close its emergency room, with the hospital closing shortly after, following CMS’ plan to revoke its critical access hospital designation, ABC affiliate KRCR reported Aug. 22. 

“GMC served Willows and Glenn County for 75 years, and was designated as a critical access hospital for nearly 25 years,” the hospital wrote in a Facebook post on Aug. 22, which included a link to the KRCR report. “Our clinics will remain open, but our ER will close in 60 days, and the rest of the hospital and services soon after that.”

A CAH designation gives facilities stronger financial support, with Medicare reimbursing costs at 101% for inpatient and outpatient services, versus 82% at many other hospitals. It also provides regulatory flexibility. 

CMS informed the 25-bed hospital in April that it no longer met the federal geographic requirement for critical access eligibility, which requires hospitals be at least 35 miles from the nearest facility when traveling by primary roads, or at least 15 miles for mountainous or secondary roads. CMS’ report found GMC was 32 miles from Colusa (Calif.) Medical Center, three miles short of the requirement. 

In June, hospital leaders warned that the critical access designation loss could force the hospital to close inpatient and emergency services by 2026.
Becker’s has reached out to Glenn Medical Center and CMS for comment and will update this article should more information become available.

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