What Happened to Our Hospitals?

Shands Lake Shore in Columbia County. Shands Live Oak in Suwannee County. Shands Starke in Bradford County. All closed or converted to emergency-only services with little to no notice and limited opportunity for input from community members. 

As a result, residents of north central Florida have to travel long distances for medical care, if they even have a car or can afford gas.  

And these hospitals aren’t the only ones.

Around the country, rural hospital closures have sharply increased over the past two decades, and there is no end in sight. At this moment, there are more than a dozen rural hospitals at risk of closing in our state, and some could shut down in just a few years.

What’s going on?

Smaller communities and skyrocketing insurance rates, which leave more people unable to afford basic health insurance, can make it challenging to provide care in rural areas. 

While hospitals have occasionally been able to fill financial gaps with assistance from local or state governments, this support has not been consistently available. 

What steps can we take to get care to folks in these areas and other parts of Florida?

“I lived with a cracked tooth for a while. I started pursuing dental insurance and found out Medicare didn't have anything. I think everyone needs to recognize the fact that poor oral health care does impact your ability to maintain your medical health.”

–70-year-old patient Gainesville, Florida

Did the closing of a hospital impact you? 

Here are just three hospital closures that have affected our communities in recent years. 

For example, Shands Lake Shore had to suspend elective procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic, which significantly impacted its revenue and service availability. By late 2020, hospital leaders decided to close the hospital, leaving Suwannee County patients to travel fifty miles or more for essential care—a journey that can be challenging and distressing.

Similarly, in early 2020, Shands Live Oak transitioned to an emergency-only facility, halting all inpatient and non-emergency services. The subsequent purchase by HCA Healthcare, a for-profit operator based in Tennessee, has left many in the community feeling anxious and uncertain, as services have not yet returned to pre-closure levels. 

Shands Starke also shifted its focus to emergency room services only in May 2020. Without inpatient care, residents are now faced with the difficult reality of having to drive at least 20 miles to the nearest specialty facility for care—an inconvenience that adds to the stress and worry during an already tough time.

We know this has weighed heavily on many families. We want to hear your story →

What can we do to tackle hospital closures?

We’ve held our breath for far too long, hoping for better health care. Every day we wait adds to our worries while friends and family face health challenges. No matter where we live, we all deserve to be healthy. 

Now, we need leaders who will take action to make this a reality. For Florida’s Health Coalition is fighting to 1) lower the cost of care, and 2) get care to everyone.

Let’s work together to make sure our voices are heard.

Connect to Care

With fewer places to access care in rural Florida, navigating the health care system can be challenging.

Here are three resources to help:

1. Connect to community specialists by signing up for alerts from your local 211.

2. Florida Voices for Health can help you find free or low-cost care in your area.

3. The Suwannee River Area Health Education Center has navigators who can connect you to care tailored to your needs.

Do you have a resource to add or a question for our Community Steering Committee?
Email us at info@forflhealth.org.