Atmore (AL) – Atmore Community Hospital (ACH) has announced the closure of the surgery department effective June 1st, 2024. Officials point to low patient volumes, poor reimbursement rates including the lack of Medicaid expansion, and rapidly inflating costs as major reasons behind the closure.

“It is an unfortunate reality in today’s rural healthcare climate that hospitals are having to closely look at which services they are financially able to continue to provide. Atmore Community Hospital remains committed to providing our patients with quality healthcare and offering services locally. However, surgical services are not something we can continue offering and remain viable.” stated Brad Lowery, Hospital Administrator. “This decision was not made lightly, as we feel we have a very strong surgical team. Significant time and resources have gone in to trying to sustain the service, but we simply don’t have the necessary volume to support it at this time.”

According to hospital officials, Atmore Community Hospital is actively working to have outpatient surgical consults locally through visiting specialist, including D.W. McMillan Memorial Hospital. Along with this change in service, visiting specialists who were located in the ACH Specialty Care building will now be relocating to other areas of the hospital and clinics.

“We continue to review what is working from a financial perspective,” stated Debbie Rowell, Escambia County Health Care Authority Board Chairperson. “We cannot continue to offer services that decrease our financial feasibility. We continue to research impacts of Medicaid Expansion and better reimbursements options for rural healthcare facilities.”