Lakeland Community Hospital, a 59-bed hospital in Haleyville, Ala., was slated to shut down by the end of this year, but the closure has been delayed until at least Jan. 30, 2018, according to The Cullman Times.
In November, officials said the hospital was closing due to dwindling reimbursements. Hospital CEO Debbie Pace said officials explored "every viable option" before making the decision to close Lakeland Community Hospital, which is the only hospital in Winston County.
However, city and county leaders are still working to save the hospital. They recently reached an agreement with the hospital's parent company, Clinton, Tenn.-based Curae Health, to keep the facility open through at least Jan. 30, 2018. Haleyville leaders also approved a one-cent sales tax Dec. 18, which may help the hospital avoid closure.
Half of the revenue from the sales tax will go toward the healthcare authority of Winston County and Haleyville, which may take over the hospital from Curae Health, and the other half will be used to pay hospital debt, according to ABC 33/40.
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