Breckenridge Texan

By Carla McKeown/Breckenridge Texan

National Rural Health Day, designated as Thursday, Nov. 16, gives rural communities across the country an opportunity to honor their local healthcare providers, and on Monday, Nov. 13, the Stephens County Commissioners made it official on the local level by approving a proclamation naming Nov. 16 as National Rural Health Day in Stephens County.

County Judge Michael Roach praised the hospital and the hospital district for what it offers to the community.

Brian Roland, CEO of Stephens Memorial Hospital, talked to the commissioners about the importance of rural health care and the strides being made by the local hospital.

“I’m really excited to see another year gone by, with all the things that we’re doing in Stephens County, the care that we’re able to give, the cost effective care that we’re able to give and the changes that we’re making in calendar year (2024),” he said. “One of the exciting things we’re working on right now is a standalone generator at the clinic. We have not had that before. So if we have a weather incident like we’ve had the last couple of years, we actually have another warmth station, where people don’t actually have to come to the hospital; they can come to the clinic, and that will be able to run.”

Roland also mentioned a new specialty clinic that’s going to be opened next year across the street from the hospital.

He also discussed the hospital’s ongoing efforts to attain Critical Access status, a designation that could potentially bring additional reimbursement of up to $1.5 million annually from the government. The designation will change the way the hospital is reimbursed for Medicare services, potentially cutting the hospital’s costs for uncompensated care in half.

“We’ve got great staff, we’ve got great people, and the game plan is how do we continue to keep quality healthcare in Stephens County, keep our people here and continue with the process that we have going forward,” Roland said. “So this National Rural Health Day really emphasizes, from a national standpoint, what we do in these rural areas versus what you can get in Dallas or Abilene or places like that, and the people that go forward and take on these roles and wear four or five different hats, depending on what you’re doing in the organization that you’re in.”

Additionally, Stephens Memorial Hospital and ResourceCare Community Health Center in Breckenridge are celebrating National Nurse Practitioner Week this week. Check out their Facebook pages (SMH and ResourceCare) for more details.

Brian Roland, right, CEO of Stephens Memorial Hospital, talks to the Stephens County Commissioners about National Rural Health Day and some of the recent and upcoming projects for the hospital. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)

Cutline, top photo: The Stephens County Commissioners Court declared Thursday, Nov. 16, as National Rural Health Day in Stephens County at their Nov. 13 meeting. Pictured, from left, are Precinct 4 Commissioner Eric O’Dell, County Judge Michael Roach, Precinct 3 Commissioner Will Warren, Stephens Memorial Hospital CEO Brian Roland, Precinct 1 Commissioner David Fambro, and Precinct 2 Commissioner Mark McCullough. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)