Glenn County’s only hospital is shutting down this fall, leaving about 150 employees without jobs and forcing residents to travel farther for emergency care. But administrators at Glenn Medical Center in Willows warn the facility may not make it to its planned Oct. 21 closure date.
“In about six weeks our staffing in the ER is going to hit a critical juncture,” said hospital administrator Lauren Still. “And once we are no longer able to staff and safely staff emergency medical services, we must shut our doors.”
“This is hurtful on a number of different levels. But mostly it’s really just for the community that’s losing those critical emergency medical services.”— Lauren Still, Glenn Medical Center hospital administrator Lauren Still
Nurses and hospital workers are already beginning to resign, and many say they’re uncertain about their future. Brittny Mundy, the hospital’s director of nurses, said staff are weighing different paths.
“Some people are more positive than others,” Mundy said. “Some have already figured out a plan. A few people have talked about going back to school or taking a different opportunity.”
To help with the transition, hospital leaders are organizing a job fair. Director Liz Bethard said they’re reaching out to nearby employers such as Enloe Medical Center, Partnership HealthPlan and local county agencies, as well as Chico State and Butte College.
“We are looking at getting them situated in whatever community partner will accept them,” Bethard said.
Dig deeper: What led to Glenn Medical Center’s shutdown
Glenn Medical’s outpatient and rural health clinics will remain open, but the loss of the hospital and ER is what administrators say will hit the community hardest. In previous reporting, Lauren Still told NSPR the closure is painful for both staff and the community.
“This is hurtful on a number of different levels,” Still said. “But mostly it’s really just for the community that’s losing those critical emergency medical services.”
The shutdown follows a federal decision to revoke Glenn Medical’s “Critical Access Hospital” status — a designation that brought in crucial Medicare funding. Regulators determined the hospital is only 32 miles from Colusa Medical Center, falling short of the 35-mile minimum required under federal rules.
Hospital leaders appealed, arguing the actual driving distance is longer and rallying community support, but the decision was upheld.
Bethard said the case highlights how closely federal regulators are now interpreting policies. It’s a situation she thinks could foreshadow challenges for other small, rural hospitals.
“All Critical Access Hospitals will face this at some point in the future,” Bethard said. “They are really enforcing these rules, and it really doesn't matter what extenuating circumstances you might have.”
