Hospital Matters: What happens when the hospital leaves town

Hospitals aren't forever. Fierce Healthcare editor-in-chief Ayla Ellison recently told the story of what happened in her home town, Carmi, Illinois, after the White County Medical Center closed its doors more than 20 years ago. "There are two kinds of Americans: those who live 12 minutes from an emergency department and those who live 72," she writes. "The distinction has become one of the most consequential divides in contemporary life." In this episode of Hospital Matters, Ellison tells the story behind the story of Carmi, and the profound change the hospital's closure represented. Host: Tim Nelson, Minnesota Hospital Association Host: David Herman, Essentia Health Guest: Ayla Ellison, Fierce Healthcare Read her story here.