Courtesy photo

East Texas Medical Center will close the ETMC-run hospital in Trinity when the lease is up on Aug. 1. The long-planned move comes amid declining reimbursement rates, according to ETMC officials.

Trinity is in Trinity County, about 110 miles south of Tyler.

“The decision to not extend or renew our lease of ETMC Trinity was an extremely difficult one,” said Perry Henderson, senior vice president, affiliate operations. “ETMC has leased this hospital for 20 years, so this decision is one we struggled with and did not make lightly. However, the reality of the situation is that due to changes in healthcare and low patient volumes at this facility, we can no longer afford to operate a hospital in this community.”

A news release cited “declining reimbursements from payers such as Medicare and Medicaid” and “unsustainable losses at the hospital” as factors in the decision.

ETMC Trinity was notified in February 2015 that ETMC intended to pull out.

“We have been working with the Trinity Hospital Board since 2015 to help position them for continued operations with a potential new partner,” Henderson said in a news release.

And at one time, it appeared that Huntsville Memorial Hospital might step in to run the facility. But that deal fell through, said Trinity County Judge Doug Page.

“We haven’t found a partner,” he said. “It’s very disappointing for us. After ETMC closes, then depending on what end of the county you’re on, the closest hospital would either be Lufkin, about 32 miles away, or Huntsville, which is about 25 miles away. It’s not a good situation.”

But a hospital district has been formed, and it will continue the search, Page said.

“We have our fingers cross,” he said.

About 60 workers will be affected by the July 31 closing, ETMC’s Henderson said.

“ETMC will provide assistance to these individuals as they seek employment, either with other ETMC facilities or elsewhere,” he said.