Rural hospital group in Texas finds success, controversy in eschewing commercial insurance

The Hashmi Group’s unusual business model of turning away commercial insurance and managed care contractors while accepting only Medicare and Medicaid at rural hospitals has worked, according to its owners. But it has also attracted the attention of state inspectors thanks to very high out-of-network rates, expired licenses for staff and missing infection protocols.

How a rural, independent hospital can survive

Alan Kent, DHA

Alan Kent, DHA, speaking at the 2018 ACHE Congress in Chicago

Meadows Regional Medical Center in Vidalia, Georgia, serves a “very rural” area, according to president and CEO Alan Kent, DHA, just the kind of facility that has often been scooped up by larger systems in recent years. Staying independent meant the hospital needed to drive through a series of management-led initiatives on quality, patient growth and staffing levels.