Georgiana (Ala.) Medical Center will close March 31, making it the seventh rural hospital in Alabama to close since 2010.
Ivy Creek Healthcare in Georgiana, which owns the hospital, cited growing costs and reimbursement cuts as the reason for the closure, according to WSFA.
Georgiana Medical Center is one of two hospitals serving Butler County.
"The rising costs of healthcare coupled with the cuts in reimbursement have made it impractical to maintain financial viability with two hospitals operating in Butler County," Ivy Creek CEO Mike Bruce said in a press release, according to WSFA.
Ivy Creek's rural health clinics will remain open after Georgiana Medical Center closes. The clinics will be managed by LV Stabler Memorial Hospital in Greenville, Ala., the other hospital serving Butler County. Ivy Creek and LV Stabler will also combine their home health operations, according to CBS42.
"Small hospitals, in particular those in Alabama's underserved, rural counties, are under tremendous financial pressure," LV Stabler Interim CEO Connie Nicholas said in a press release, according to CBS42. "Together with Ivy Creek, we see this realignment as a means for maintaining healthcare options here at home and providing for the needs of our citizens who depend upon us."
Editor's note: This article was updated Feb. 12 at 10:20 a.m.
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