Westfield Memorial Hospital has received designation as a Rural Emergency Hospital from the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the New York State Department of Health. The Allegheny Health Network made the announcement in a press release on Thursday. Hospital officials say the designation will ensure the facility’s long-term financial and operational stability going forward and protect care access for its patients in Westfield and the surrounding Chautauqua County region. In the coming months, the hospital will transition from a small inpatient hospital to a 24/7 emergency, observation, and outpatient care facility. Designated rural emergency hospitals are eligible for additional federal funding and higher Medicare reimbursement rates.
Hospital Administrator Rodney Buchanan says, “We are so gratified that AHN Westfield has received rural emergency hospital designation. This change will help residents of this region maintain access to the high-quality health services they need for years to come.”
Rural emergency hospitals are a new Medicare provider designation established to support struggling rural hospitals, allowing them to continue providing essential services without having to maintain inpatient beds. It was created to prevent rural hospital closures, maintain access to health care in small communities and promote health equity for those living in rural areas…