Dale County is an underserved community with only one pediatrician who also shares time as an urgent care physician. As a result, Dale Medical Center worked with Dothan Pediatrics to open a satellite office in Ozark so the area could have access to full time pediatric coverage.
Plans were set in motion. Dothan Pediatrics opened Ozark Pediatrics in a temporary office in the hospital surgery center, bought land for a new, permanent office, and was ready to break ground in early April. They committed to investing and providing care in a rural area where the recruitment of primary care physicians is difficult. Their commitment would bring construction jobs, health care jobs, and most importantly better access to care for children.
But then the legislature overrode the veto of the General Fund, and Medicaid outlined the potential cuts needed as a result of this budget, including significant cuts to primary care doctors. Dothan Pediatrics estimated that the cuts could mean $2 million less each year in revenue. Facing that daunting figure, the practice came to the difficult realization that it could no longer move forward with the construction of a new office. Even worse, if there is no change in the budget, Dothan Pediatrics physicians are concerned they will not be able to maintain any presence in Ozark or possibly other satellite offices across the Wiregrass area.
This means the majority of people in Dale County, the privately insured and those on Medicaid, will now have to drive to Dothan for basic care like check-ups and immunizations. Access to care in Dale County will be in jeopardy, a trend that is likely to continue across the state. This is just the first of many examples to come of how this budget hurts health care and jobs.
We warned the Legislature, but I guess they didn’t hear us. Now the Legislature just has to remember that if you are going to take credit for the budget you passed, you also have to be willing to take responsibility for what comes as a result.
