Atchison, Kan.-based Amberwell Health may be stepping in to operate a rural Kansas emergency department that is due to close Dec. 20, according to a KCUR/NPR report.
Ascension Via Christi said last month it will cease operations at its emergency department in Fort Scott, Kan., due to a steady decline in patient visits and its overall average daily census.
Local authorities are seeking to get a licensing agreement in place for Amberwell Health to operate the facility. Amberwell Health is seeking a $1.5 million subsidy to begin operations, according to the report.
City officials are also investigating the possibility of turning the facility into a rural emergency hospital to improve reimbursements, the report said.