By PHYLLIS ZORN

Staff writer

Senator Jerry Moran made a brief visit to Hillsboro Friday to talk about the hospital’s crisis with lenders and staff.

The visit was a listening stop to see what people have to say about issues the community has gone through since Bank of Hays filed a petition seeking mortgage foreclosure. That was followed by the bank and the city jointly seeking appointment of a receiver.

HCH is looking for a buyer and is seeking Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection from its creditors.

In January the hospital owed $1.7 million more than the value of its assets. By February, it owed about $2 million more. Moran extended community leaders yet another offer of help.

“The offer still stands,” Moran told city administrator Larry Paine. “Anything we can do to help, let us know and we’ll see if we can do it.”

Several people showed up to hear from and talk to Moran. One man said having access to the hospital had saved his life.

Moran talked about the importance of having a critical access hospital as well as local availability of health care for veterans in rural areas.

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid and the federal Health and Human Services administration want to impose changes that would hurt the availability of those services, but Moran told listeners he is working against those ideas.

Hospital receiver Cohesive Healthcare Management and Consulting filed a petition in federal court this month seeking Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in hope of finding a buyer willing to take over HCH’s debt.

“We discussed the hospital’s financial circumstances and the important role the hospital plays in caring for the Hillsboro community,” Moran wrote in his newsletter. “I was impressed by the tremendous dedication and positive outlook of the staff at HCH and their determination to make certain folks in the Hillsboro community and surrounding area continue to receive quality care. Access to health care is important to communities across our state, and rural hospitals are a major driver of our local economy. I will continue to maintain a special focus on keeping hospital doors open in communities across Kansas. Thank you to Hillsboro city administrator Larry Paine for coordinating my visit and to the many community members for attending this meeting.”