by Malcolm Butler
Ruston has boasted a hospital for almost a century.
Could that be coming to an end?
Residents of Lincoln Parish hope not.
However, it is no secret that the current version of a Ruston-based hospital — Northern Louisiana Medical Center — is under scrutiny, not only from residents of the area, but also from the Louisiana Department of Health.
As first reported by the Ruston Daily Leader last week, the LDH sent Northern Louisiana Medical Center an 87-page document with findings that could lead to the loss of Medicare funding and potentially the loss of the hospital altogether.
Not a fun thought.
Current NLMC Chief Executive Officer Monica Adams, who has only been on the job since June 1 after coming to Ruston from Winnfield, released a statement late last week saying the hospital is already working to address the deficiencies outlined in the survey.
“Northern Louisiana Medical Center has received the results of its recent Louisiana Department of Health survey and is finalizing its Plan of Correction,” Adams said. “Our leadership team is actively addressing the survey findings and implementing corrective actions, many of which are already underway. We are committed to resolving all identified issues promptly and in accordance with state requirements.
“Patient safety, quality care and regulatory compliance remain our highest priorities. We view this process as an opportunity to strengthen our operations and further enhance the care we provide to our patients and community.
“Northern Louisiana Medical Center remains fully operational and dedicated to delivering safe, high-quality healthcare while continuously improving the services we provide.”
Hospital officials have until Wednesday to submit a corrective action plan addressing the deficiencies cited by the state.
The state survey findings came only weeks after Northern Louisiana Medical Center was included among more than 500 hospitals nationwide that received warning letters from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services regarding federal price transparency requirements.
The current version of Northern Louisiana Medical Center has been under the ownership of Allegiance Health Management, led by Rock Bordelon, since March 2020, when the company purchased the facility from Community Health Systems. In November 2024, Allegiance expanded its footprint in Lincoln Parish when it acquired Green Clinic, bringing two of the area’s largest healthcare providers under the same ownership.
While Adams declined further comment Monday, hospital officials said they have been working nonstop to compile a detailed response.
As the pressure mounts, local leaders say the stakes extend far beyond the hospital itself.
To them, the issue is about growth, public safety and quality of life.
“When I became mayor 12 years ago, I started studying what you needed to have in place to grow a big city,” Ruston Mayor Ronny Walker said. “What I found was that a city is no different than a church or a business. You’re either growing or you’re dying. There’s no staying the same.”
Walker said one of the lessons city leaders learned early on was that healthcare infrastructure is one of the foundations of a thriving community.
“One of the key components was a great healthcare system,” Walker said. “You’ve got to have that.”
Walker said Ruston has aggressively pursued growth over the past decade and that maintaining healthcare services is part of that effort.
“Having a hospital, and a clinic, and an emergency room is extremely important to grow any city no matter where you are,” Walker said.
But Walker said the issue becomes even more critical because the City of Ruston provides emergency medical services for all of Lincoln Parish.
“The emergency room is even more important for us because we run the ambulances for the entire parish,” Walker said.
That sentiment is shared by Ruston Fire Department EMS Director David Wells, who said the impact of losing a local emergency room would be felt immediately.
“It’s very important for the community to have a healthcare facility in our parish,” Wells said. “We have 50,000-plus citizens that live in Lincoln Parish and they deserve to have quality healthcare services in their parish.”
Wells said the absence of a local emergency room would force ambulances to spend considerably more time transporting patients outside the parish.
“It would require resources to be tied up longer transporting patients to Monroe or out of the parish,” Wells said.
He said that becomes problematic when other emergencies arise simultaneously.
“There’s only so many ambulances and personnel to be able to handle those emergencies, especially if other emergencies arise like multiple transports or car accidents with multiple people in them or structure fires,” Wells said. “Having them go out of the parish to deliver those patients for healthcare would be very taxing on the resources.”
Currently, Ruston Fire Department staffs three stations, with two serving as primary ambulance locations. Minimum staffing on a shift is 17 personnel.
Wells said the burden would not stop with Lincoln Parish. Those hospitals receiving additional patients would face challenges of their own.
“Those healthcare facilities are set up to handle the citizens in their area,” Wells said. “If an influx of patients from outside their area comes in, it’s going to tax their resources as well.”
For Walker, healthcare means much more than a hospital building.
“It is of the utmost concern to me that we have a strong medical community,” Walker said. “I’m not talking about just the hospital. Doctor’s offices, docs, nursing homes, emergency room, operating rooms, everything. The entire medical community has to be strong.”
If Northern Louisiana Medical Center were to fail, Walker said city leaders would immediately begin seeking alternatives.
“We would immediately start a hard press on getting someone in here,” Walker said.
Still, Walker emphasized that the city’s desire is not replacement but success.
“That’s the reason we want Northern Louisiana Medical Center, or whoever it might be, to succeed and grow,” Walker said.
Lincoln Parish Police Jury President Glenn Scriber said parish officials feel much the same.
“We are basically sold out to having that in Ruston, Louisiana, Lincoln Parish,” Scriber said. “We are not going to give up until we have something that is satisfactory for our citizens here in Lincoln Parish that are so deserving of that.”
Scriber acknowledged that public confidence in the local hospital has suffered.
“It’s heartbreaking to see that at the present time people do not have confidence in our local facility,” Scriber said.
Still, he said the Police Jury intends to remain actively engaged as the state reviews the hospital’s corrective efforts.
“I don’t think it’ll be a time of wait and see necessarily,” Scriber said. “There’ll be some of that, but we will be proactive in asking questions and trying to continue to get some answers.”
Scriber said the Police Jury plans to remain in communication with the Louisiana Department of Health to monitor the situation and keep residents informed.
“We will continue to be proactive on following this situation,” Scriber said.
Walker knows healthcare as essential to growth. Wells sees it as essential to emergency response. Scriber sees it as essential to the quality of life Lincoln Parish residents deserve.
To them, the question facing Northern Louisiana Medical Center is about much more than an 87-page state report.
It is about preserving a resource that has been part of Ruston and Lincoln Parish for generations and ensuring it remains part of the community’s future.
