[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 53 (Thursday, March 29, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E383]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                HONORING NORTH SUNFLOWER MEDICAL CENTER

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. BENNIE G. THOMPSON

                             of mississippi

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 29, 2018

  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a 
remarkable organization, North Sunflower Medical Center.
  North Sunflower is succeeding at a time when many rural hospitals in 
the U.S. are struggling to survive. It serves as a lifeline in a county 
where nearly 40 percent of residents are living in poverty and in a 
state with some of the highest levels of obesity, diabetes and deaths 
from cardiovascular disease in the nation.
  And it has helped keep the tiny town of Ruleville afloat. It opened 
eye and dental clinics, a gift shop, a diagnostic center and a hospice 
in downtown stores, many of which had been vacant and in disrepair. The 
25-bed hospital also sponsors fundraisers for the local high school 
sports teams and supports area colleges and events, including the Great 
Ruleville Roast & Run in late September.
  North Sunflower isn't immune to the problems plaguing its peers. Its 
costs are going up at a time when its reimbursements aren't. Medicare, 
Medicaid and private insurers are cutting their payments and taking 
longer to send the checks. After years of growth, it may have to 
rethink some of the services it offers.
  ``It's a daily struggle and it's getting harder,'' said Billy Marlow, 
North Sunflower's executive director who engineered the turnaround.
  Marlow had no background in health care when, in 2004, he was asked 
to join the board and help save the hospital. Born at North Sunflower 
and raised in the area, he was a real estate developer and farmer. Soon 
after, he was named board chairman and then interim administrator.
  It didn't take long for him to realize North Sunflower had to develop 
sources of revenue outside the core hospital. One of his first moves 
was to relocate the health clinic to a more prominent spot along the 
road and extend the hours. It's now open from 8 a.m. to midnight every 
day and treats 3,500 patients a month, up from 120 in 2004. It saves 
the hospital and patients money by absorbing those who show up at the 
emergency room but don't need that high a level of care.
  The clinic is now a profit center, as is the hospice, pharmacy and 
durable medical equipment facility that sells items such as 
wheelchairs, back and knee braces, home oxygen equipment and blood 
sugar monitors. Marlow opened or expanded all of these.
  Another top priority was renovating the hospital itself. The rooms 
were old, some of the ceilings were crumbling and the technology was 
outdated. This led both patients and doctors to avoid the place.
  ``When you have a hospital that's dirty or has a bad image, you can't 
recruit,'' said Marlow, who credits the employees and administrators 
for the rejuvenation.
  To help fund all the changes, Marlow converted North Sunflower to a 
critical access hospital, a federal designation aimed at keeping rural 
providers alive. The shift increased the medical center's Medicare 
reimbursements.
  A federal loan and a county bond helped pay for a new surgical unit 
and the Beacon Wellness Center, which contains a sleep clinic, 
community gym and rehab programs. And Marlow sold the hospital's home 
health aide agency, stashing away $2 million in the bank. Marlow also 
secured some creative financing. He negotiated a deal with GE to 
provide new X-ray equipment and a CT scanner. And he hired an outside 
company to overhaul and upgrade the hospital's rooms and paid off the 
bill over time.
  Along with all internal changes, the hospital developed extensive 
marketing campaigns. Its slogan, Take me to Ruleville, is everywhere--
on billboards and bumper stickers, wrapped around its shuttle vans, in 
TV advertisements and YouTube videos.
  Area residents have noticed. North Sunflower received higher than 
average ratings from patients on a variety of quality measures, 
according to Medicare's Hospital Compare profile. Some 83 percent of 
patients said they would ``definitely recommend'' the medical center, 
compared to an average of 70 percent for Mississippi hospitals and 72 
percent nationwide.
  Many area residents said they started coming to North Sunflower's 
clinic when it opened about a decade ago, not realizing it had existed 
for years before. Now, they travel miles to see doctors there, 
bypassing closer hospitals along the way.
  Doctors are interested in working at North Sunflower. In recent 
years, it has added an array of specialists--an orthopedic surgeon, 
podiatrist, pediatric hematologist, among others--who visit anywhere 
from once a month to a few times a week. A licensed social worker now 
provides adolescent and family counseling at the clinic. And its 
outpatient cardiac rehab unit just received industry accreditation.
  Attracting and retaining quality staff to practice in the Delta is 
also a challenge. North Sunflower pays its doctors top dollar--often 
more than what they'd make in bigger cities--and covers a portion of 
their medical school loans.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing North 
Sunflower Medical Center for its dedication to serving and giving back 
to the community.

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