Rural Health Reimagined
March 19, 2025
Reimagining Rural Health to Support Sustainability: What This Means for Gove County – HaysMed and GCMC Partnership
In response to significant challenges in rural healthcare, Gove County Medical Center (GCMC) is taking proactive steps to enhance local medical services by forming a strategic partnership with HaysMed. This collaboration aims to strengthen the healthcare infrastructure and expand the range of services available in Gove County.
On Friday, February 28, 2025, the GCMC board and hospital administration signed a letter of intent with HaysMed, voted on by the Board of Trustees, in an effort to provide community awareness, education, and outline the benefits The hospitals are now focused on finalizing a Definitive Agreement to secure the partnership terms, ensuring they serve the best interests of the community and support both organizations’ goals.
What This Means:
Enhanced Local Care: Gove County Medical Center is actively pursuing a partnership with HaysMed to sustain high-quality, healthcare remains accessible locally. This collaboration will bring advanced technology that will benefit providers, staff and patients.
Expanded Services: By aligning with HaysMed, GCMC will expand its specialty care offerings in Gove County, making more diverse medical services available locally and reducing the need to travel far for specialized treatment.
Economic Stability: This partnership is not just about healthcare; it’s also an economic strategy. Maintaining and growing the hospital supports local jobs and keeps healthcare within the community, bolstering overall economic health.
Future-Proofing Healthcare: As other rural hospitals face the threat of closure, this proactive step supports GCMC in not only surviving but thriving. The partnership is a strategic move to adapt to the changing healthcare landscape while keeping roots firmly planted in local needs and values.
What This Is Not:
Not a Takeover: Unlike many rural hospitals being absorbed by large, national systems, this partnership with HaysMed is structured to keep decision-making and oversight local. It is about strengthening existing facilities, not losing them to external control.
Not Reducing Local Input or Care: The partnership will not diminish the role of local leadership or the quality of care. The current GCMC local elected board will stay intact as will the same local staff who have always prioritized the community’s health needs.
Not a Last Resort: This initiative is a forward-thinking choice to enhance and expand the healthcare services offered. It’s about building on strengths and securing a robust healthcare future for Gove County.
Not a Redistribution of Taxpayer Money: The local sales tax initiative and mil levy will continue to solely support GCMC operations. These tax dollars will not leave the county to support the operations of any other organization other than GCMC.
Be sure to follow our journey online – we look forward to sharing frequent updates with you!
February 28, 2025
While many healthcare organizations have sought acquisition and merger as solutions to their challenges, GCMC and Hays Med are pursuing a different path that instead prioritizes partnering through an affiliation and keeping care localized and community driven in Gove County.
Over the coming days and weeks we will continue to provide additional information. We will also provide opportunities for questions or feel free to call us during business hours.
Rural Health Reimagined
HaysMed-GCMC Intent to Partner
Joint Statement from HaysMed and Gove County Medical Center
HaysMed and Gove County Medical Center (GCMC) are pleased to announce that we have signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) to form a strategic partnership that strengthens rural healthcare in Gove County and Western Kansas. With many planning discussions now underway, this partnership will be designed to provide support for GCMC from the region’s only tertiary care center, including access to enhanced technologies and expanded specialty care services for patients in Gove County.
Across the U.S., hospitals are seeking partnerships to navigate financial and operational challenges. While many are being acquired by large national health systems, we are taking a different approach. This HaysMed-GCMC partnership is a collaborative effort to sustain and grow rural healthcare services while keeping access to care local. In addition to supporting better health, hospitals drive strong economic development in their communities, this partnership will help keep jobs and healthcare funding local. Together, we are building a future where rural healthcare not only survives, but also thrives.
“As a board, we believe that this partnership with HaysMed represents the best opportunity to secure continued access to healthcare for the people of Gove County. It’s a viable and strategic approach to ensure that our community not only maintains but also enhances its healthcare services. We are committed to making sure that quality medical care remains within reach for every resident, now and into the future.” – Terry Ostmeyer, GCMC Board President
Be sure to follow our journey online – we look forward to sharing frequent updates with you!