Others are fighting for their lives. Rural communities across Texas have felt the impact of hospital closures for more than a decade now. When a rural hospital closes, local residents lose access to routine, preventative care, not to mention emergency services that can save life and limb. Doctors and other highly trained professionals move away. Then people must drive a hundred miles or more in some cases to get the care city dwellers take for granted.
Local economies suffer when jobs are lost.
Existing businesses may have to move, and new businesses won't locate in places where health care is unavailable. Hospital closure can be a death-kneel for struggling towns. Other rescue efforts are moving forward to preserve the ability of our nation's hospitals and other Medicare providers to provide adequate health care to their patients. I am cosponsoring a number of bills that have been introduced to strengthen hospitals' financial position. Finally, my successful effort to ensure that states' tobacco settlement funds stay in our state and out of the clutches of the federal government has meant that many hospitals across the country are receiving a financial boost.