Audrain County officials and Boone Health signed a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) on Friday, April 12, at the Audrain County Courthouse Rotunda, allowing for a full review of hospital service needs for Audrain County and the co-development of a master health plan to meet the needs of the citizens and businesses of the county. 

“The signing of an NDA with Boone Health marks a significant milestone to secure sustainable hospital services for Audrain County and surrounding communities,” said Audrain County Presiding Commissioner Alan Winders. “As a known regional healthcare system with a proven track record for quality outcomes, Boone Health is more than qualified to explore the establishment of a Critical Access Hospital (CAH) in Mexico.”

Winders thanked Boone Health officials during the ceremony and said the community is ready to enter the next phase.

“We need to move forward and we need to look forward, not back,” he said. “This is a different approach. We are fully aware that signing of a NDA is not a deal to get our hospital back. However, it does represent hope. It’s the beginning of a path to explore, with Boone Health, the possibilities. It is action over inaction.”

Audrain County, the City of Mexico and Audrain County Health Department have worked to assess the healthcare needs of area residents and identify a qualified healthcare system that can meet those needs, Winders noted. 

Mexico City Manager Bruce Slagle noted that more than 60 million Americans live in rural areas. On average, rural residents are older and require more medical attention and care. More than 130 rural hospitals have closed in this country in the last decade — Mexico is one of those hospitals.

 “Having a local hospital or access to care is critical in an emergency situation where minutes could make a big difference,” Slagle said. “Boone Health is a great partner to help our community explore the reestablishment of a community hospital.”

Craig Brace, Audrain County Health Department CEO/administrator spoke, mentioning the Forvis Healthcare market and feasibility assessment, noting that it validated “for us, that a critical access hospital was not only needed, but also was possible for Audrain County.” He added it  also “revealed that area residents would highly prefer a known healthcare system with a proven track record of hospital operations to provide hospital-based services”

“The results of the study provided the government health care committee with information needed to pursue potential hospital operators who could provide our citizens with the best hope for long-term sustainable health care for years to come,” he added.

Brace also shared community feedback and online comments in response to the NDA announcement. Here’s one:

“Dear God, please let this all work out” and “Best news I’ve heard in two years”

Brace noted the NDA signing was the “next step” for long-term sustainable community health care but also mentioned there is still work to do. That said, he joked that he purchased a brand new shovel the previous night.

Boone Health has been providing healthcare to mid-Missouri for more than 100 years and was recently recognized as one of America’s Best 100 Hospitals by Healthgrades – the only hospital recognized in Missouri. 

“Audrain County is made up of remarkable communities who deserve excellent definitive healthcare close to home,” said Brady Dubois, Boone Health CEO. “With Boone’s commitment to delivering superior outcomes-focused healthcare to local communities, this initiative with Audrain is a natural extension of our existing presence. We look forward to working together with the strong leadership group in Audrain County to meet the needs of their citizens,”

During the ceremony, Dubois addressed the crowd.

“Working in collaboration with the public health and the county officials, we’re going to be able to develop a great plan to be able to put something in place, hopefully in short order to be able to start the process,” he said. “We believe health care should be local as much as possible.”

Boone Health is a mid-Missouri health care network of primary care offices, private practice clinics, outpatient services and affiliated hospitals, including Boone Hospital Center. Boone Hospital Center is a 392-bed full-service hospital located in Columbia. It is a regional referral center located in the center of the state. The hospital provides progressive health care programs, services, and technology to residents in 26 mid-Missouri counties. Boone Hospital Center was named the top hospital in mid-Missouri by U.S. News & World Report from 2015- 2023 and is designated as a Magnet Hospital for Nursing Excellence by the American Nurses Credentialing Center.

The Audrain County Healthcare Committee is composed of the Audrain County Commission, City of Mexico and Audrain County Health Department.