JACKSONVILLE, Ark. \u2013 People in Jacksonville are preparing for a change in local healthcare access as the city\u2019s only emergency room is set to close its doors on April 15.<\/p>\n
The facility, operated by Unity Health Care, will shut down its emergency room and medical-surgical units, leaving the community without immediate in-city emergency services.<\/p>\n
Jacksonville businesses feel impact amid Interstate 57 construction <\/a><\/p>\n Jacksonville Mayor Jeff Elmore said the announcement came as a surprise.<\/p>\n \u201cDisappointed. First and foremost, for our people,\u201d Elmore said.<\/p>\n He said he remembers the excitement just a few years ago when the emergency services first opened.<\/p>\n \u201cThree years ago, when they opened, we celebrated. We were so happy we were going to have emergency care for our residents. You know, no more having to travel,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n With the closure, residents will now need to travel out of the city for emergency treatment. The nearest options include hospitals in Cabot and Sherwood.<\/p>\n According to Unity Health Care President LaDonna Johnston, the decision to close the facility came from ongoing challenges in the healthcare climate.<\/p>\n She said there are many people who are now uninsured and underinsured.<\/p>\n \u201cI feel like we\u2019re basically a third-party victim in the situation,\u201d Elmore said.<\/p>\n People living in Jacksonville said the loss of an ER will have an impact.<\/p>\n \u201cI wish they would come up with a solution to not close it,\u201d said Janetta Adams.<\/p>\n