The Mendocino Coast District Hospital in Fort Bragg, California has been on the brink of closure for ten years and running at a loss.
Things started to go downhill in 2002 when the Fort Bragg lumber mill closed and many lost their jobs. Now there are only around 7,000 people left in the town and few go to the hospital which declared bankruptcy in 2012 but just about managed to survive.
However, the locals do want a hospital in their area as the nearest other one is an hour and a half away on treacherous roads across the mountains. In addition, people are not only concerned about their health, but also the hospital is the largest employer in the town with the best paying jobs. If it were to close it would have a massive effect on the local economy.
There are constant discussions between the administration staff and the medical staff as to which is the best route to take in order to begin to make money but even more essential is to build a new facility as through the maternity ward and the emergency room, the flooring is layered with asbestos and the concrete is not strong enough to hold the weight of MRI machines and new scanners.
The local community hopes that somehow the money will be raised but given that 57 rural hospitals in the United States have closed over the last five years, optimism is not high.
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