By Trish Svoboda

On Tuesday, U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D., visited Mercy Hospital in Moundridge to acquaint himself with its transition to a Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) designation. Mercy Hospital is the second hospital in Kansas to adopt the REH model, following the establishment of the federal designation in 2021 and the finalization of state regulations in 2023. Aaron Herbel, the administrator of Mercy Hospital, conducted a facility tour to highlight the medical services that will serve its patients and discuss the new designation’s financial advantages.

The decision to designate Mercy Hospital as a REH, effective January 1, 2023, was a strategic move by the hospital’s board and administrative team to secure financial stability and ensure an ongoing presence in the community. With the new designation, the hospital commits to providing round-the-clock emergency medical care, laboratory testing, physical therapy, radiology, outpatient surgery, clinic services, observation services, and various other outpatient services.