LA GRANGE, Texas (Nexstar) — Right on Highway 77, a few miles from downtown La Grange, sits a hospital that once provided emergency services and orthopedic surgery. Now, the St. Mark’s Medical Center is an empty building with a sign on the front door that reads, “Sorry, we’re closed.”
The hospital closed in October 2023 because of “ongoing inability to meet its financial obligations,” according to a news release that announced the closure.
St. Mark’s was the only hospital in Fayette County.
About a mile from the empty hospital is the building that houses Fayette County’s EMS fleet and personnel. Josh Vandever, the EMS Chief for the county, said he and his team cover 960 square miles and respond to about 4,000 calls a year. Before St. Mark’s closed, Vandever said his team would transport between 50% and 60% of their calls to the local hospital.
Now, Vandever said he and his team are taking patients to emergency rooms in Smithsville and Columbus, both about 20 minutes away in either direction. But sometimes Vandever’s team is making the hour-long trip to Austin for some patients.
Source: Texas legislature looks to help rural hospitals struggling to stay open / kxan