Today’s #GoodNewsFriday is about a topic that hasn’t had much good news in recent years: rural healthcare. So let’s talk about the genuine good happening in #StamfordTexas!
Ever since the Stamford Hospital District closed its emergency and in-patient services in 2018, its leaders have worked hard to improve the district’s financial footing and expand the scope and quality of services. The hospital board has worked together with the City of Stamford and Development Corporation of Stamford on this front and has entered into an innovative management partnership with Haskell Memorial Hospital to improve rural healthcare on a regional basis.
This effort now brings something very exciting! Stephanie Nauert grew up in Haskell and her husband grew up in Stamford, where they have chosen to raise their family. She has been a physician’s assistant (PA) in Abilene for several years, but has now joined the Stamford and Haskell hospital districts and is seeing patients in both communities, alongside some excellent providers in both communities.
I’ve written often of the importance of communities welcoming their young people “back home” and now we’re doing it in healthcare. Stamford has experienced healthcare adversity in recent years, but after a lot of hard work and collaboration locally and regionally, things are on the right track and we are growing our services in some pretty cool ways. Folks, that is incredibly good news!
“Good News Friday” is a weekly feature spotlighting the positive activities underway by the City of Stamford and the community at large in our quest to build a #BetterStamford. Subscribe at westof98.substack.com.