CMS approved a critical access hospital designation for Oneida, Tenn.-based Big South Fork Medical Center, the facility's owner, Rennova Health, said Dec. 3.
The critical access designation allows the hospital to reduce some financial vulnerability through increased Medicare reimbursement.
The lift in reimbursement is welcome, as the hospital has faced several financial struggles in recent years. In particular, in March 2021, employees reported that they didn't receive paychecks for about six weeks. In February 2020, news outlets reported that Big South Fork owed the federal government more than $2.3 million in payroll taxes.
"We are delighted to be granted Critical Access Hospital Certification for this hospital," said Seamus Lagan, CEO of Rennova Health. "The opportunity for increased revenue and reimbursement is a welcome boost to the facility for the needed service it provides to the local community."
Rennova Health is a rural hospital operator based in West Palm Beach, Fla.