The community of Big Island, Va., is looking for ways to prevent their only medical facility from shuttering at the end of December, NBC-10 News reports.
Lynchburg, Va.-based Centra Medical Group, which owns Centra Medical Group-Big Island, reportedly declared plans two weeks ago to close the facility Dec. 28, according to the report.
Officials told NBC-10 News there are several reasons for closing the facility, including difficulty hiring a full-time physician, an aging building and a lack of services provided.
However, residents of Big Island believe the closure will do more harm than good for the community. The primary care practice, staffed by one part-time physician and four administrators, provides care for an estimated 900 patients, according to the report. If it shutters, patients will be required to drive 10 miles to the nearest medical facility.
"I figured that the [number of] 911 calls from people are going to go up. Where before, they could hop in their cars and be seen in five minutes at a doctor. Now that can't happen," said Brandon Cocke, who heads the Big Island Fire Company, the community's fire department.
Members of the community reportedly plan to petition Centra to abstain from closing the facility, according to the report.
Editor's note: Becker's Hospital Review reached out to Centra Medical Group for comment and will update the article as more information becomes available.