Rural County Seeks Solutions After Hospital Closure Strains Emergency Care
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Martin County, North Carolina, is navigating the closure of its only hospital, which has increased pressure on regional emergency services. The county is considering investing in advanced paramedic units while pursuing a deal with a larger health system to reopen the facility. Federal and state funding programs could provide support, but eligibility and timing remain hurdles.
Facts First
- Martin General Hospital in Martin County closed in August 2023, leaving approximately 22,000 residents without a local emergency room.
- The closure has increased ER visits at nearby ECU Health facilities by 132%, with the nearest Level 1 trauma center reporting long wait times.
- The county is considering spending at least $1.5 million to create two advanced paramedic units to improve emergency response.
- ECU Health has signed a letter of intent to reopen the hospital, but the deal requires significant county and state funding.
- Federal rural health funds are available, but Martin County cannot access them directly because its hospital is not currently open.
What Happened
Martin General Hospital in Martin County, North Carolina, closed in August 2023 after its operator, Quorum Health, filed for bankruptcy. The closure left the county's approximately 22,000 residents without a local emergency room, with the closest emergency rooms often 20 miles or more away. Since the closure, ECU Health reported a 132% increase in daily emergency room visits at its facilities. The county government is now considering spending at least $1.5 million to create two higher-level paramedic units equipped with advanced lifesaving support, as the county's ambulances do not have paramedics.
Why this Matters to You
If you live in or travel through Martin County, a medical emergency now likely means a longer ambulance ride to a distant hospital. The median patient ER wait and treatment time at ECU Health Medical Center is nearly 4.5 hours, which is longer than 96% of hospitals nationwide. This situation may delay critical care. For county taxpayers, the closed hospital is still a cost, with an estimated $2.9 million spent on maintenance and utilities since its closure. Federal funding from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which includes a $50 billion rural health fund, could eventually help, but Martin County cannot receive direct relief from this fund because its hospital is not currently open.
What's Next
Martin County's path forward involves two parallel efforts. The county is actively considering the $1.5 million investment in advanced paramedic units, which could improve on-scene emergency care. Simultaneously, a deal with ECU Health to reopen Martin General as a rural emergency hospital is on the table. This deal, however, requires Martin County to pay for hospital refurbishment and requires the North Carolina General Assembly to provide ECU Health $210 million. The success of this deal may be influenced by broader funding; North Carolina has been earmarked $213 million from the federal rural health fund, and an affiliate of ECU Health, Access East, has already won a portion of that first-year payout. The reopening of the hospital, if successful, would restore local emergency services and potentially make the county eligible for future federal support.