43% of Arkansas rural hospitals are set to close in 2023

Is your hospital one of them? {NAME} – A 2021 analysis of healthcare access found that over 80% of Americans live in a healthcare desert – areas that lack adequate access to pharmacies, primary care providers, hospitals, hospital beds, trauma centers, and low-cost healthcare centers.  And the people most impacted are those in rural areas – roughly 41% of Arkansans. [A graphic featuring a map of the United States showing counties without adequate healthcare facilities and services. This includes the majority of counties in Arkansas.]( Things have only gotten worse in the two years since this report was released.  Earlier this year, the Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform (CHQPR) issued a report revealing over 600 rural hospitals are at risk of closure within the year – including 43% of rural hospitals in Arkansas! [ A graphic featuring a map of the United States indicating areas at highest risk of rural hospital closure. Arkansas is highlighted, where the graphic shows that of the 49 rural hospitals in the state, 21 are at risk of closure this year, including 8 at immediate risk. The total percentage of rural hospitals at risk of closure in Arkansas is 43%. This graphic has been prepared by the Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform.]( And a brand new report from the Arkansas Advocate published just last week found that EVERY. SINGLE. COUNTY. in Arkansas has at least one ambulance desert – meaning paramedics have to drive 25 minutes or more to reach someone in need of life-saving care.  This is personal to me. My wife, Dr. Jerrilyn Jones, is an ER doctor and she knows firsthand how every minute counts when patients need urgent care.  The collapse of rural healthcare is a nationwide problem we’ve known about for years. Democrats in Congress took steps to address this crisis, and passed bills with federal funding that already saved some of the “at risk” Arkansas hospitals from closure this year.  But you know who HASN’T done anything about it? Every single Republican representing our state in Congress right now, who ALL voted against this funding.  [Vortex is recruiting and training four bold Democrats to run for all four congressional seats in 2024. Can you chip in $25, $50, $100 or more today to elect representatives who will fight for our healthcare?]( If you've saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately: [Express Donate: $25 >>  Â]( [Express Donate: $50 >>  Â]( [Express Donate: $100 >> Â]( [Express Donate: $500 >> Â]( [Express Donate: $1,000 >>]( [Donate Other Amount: >> Â]( Americans in rural communities are at a much higher risk of premature death from heart disease, cancer, chronic lower respiratory disease, and stroke, and are up to 50% more likely to die from unintentional injuries than people in cities who are closer to trauma centers.  Over half of rural counties in America are already under-served for hospital OB-GYN services. Now, thanks to the Dobbs decision, rural hospitals are intentionally shutting down maternity care wards to avoid legal complications from extreme abortion bans. [A graphic featuring a headline from The Seattle Times, which reads: “Idaho hospital to stop delivering babies, partly due to ‘political climate.’]( Affordable healthcare for ALL Americans has never been a priority for the Arkansas delegation – each of whom have voted repeatedly to repeal Obamacare.  And in response to the COVID pandemic? ALL FOUR voted NO on the Heroes Act that funded COVID protections and expanded healthcare services in rural communities like Arkansas.  Rick Crawford, French Hill, Steve Womack, and Bruce Westerman are playing partisan games while nearly half of Arkansas’s rural hospitals – and more than 600 nationwide – are on the brink of closure. Let’s do something about that.  [We only need to flip five seats for Democrats to take back the House majority – and we’ve got four right here in Arkansas for the taking. Pitch in now and join Vortex to elect representatives who will fight for everyone’s healthcare!](  Let’s go! Chris Jones [Contribute to Vortex PAC](      Vortex PAC is a new grassroots movement to transform Arkansas politics away from the far-right. We are recruiting, training, and supporting Democratic candidates to flip all four of Arkansas’ U.S. congressional districts and help win back the House majority in 2024. [DONATE >>](   Paid for by Vortex PAC  ©2023 Vortex PAC, all rights reserved  Our mailing address is: Vortex PAC PO Box 1141 Springdale, AR 72765 We're sad to see you go, but if you believe you received this email in error, or you no longer wish to receive our emails you can unsubscribe using the link below: [Click here to unsubscribe.]( Sent via [ActionNetwork.org](. To update your email address, change your name or address, or to stop receiving emails from Vortex PAC, please [click here](.