Noble Health’s Don Peterson believes that rural healthcare adds value to the community, and that there are two measures of value.

The first is that access to care is vital. But the second has an equally pronounced effect on the livelihood of Audrain County and its residents.

According to Peterson, more that $15 million in healthcare dollars leave the county with residents as they seek treatment elsewhere. The new ownership of what is now Audrain Community Hospital must retain a third of that in order to create a sustainable facility in Mexico.

That was a message that resonated as Noble Health held the last in their initial series of town hall meetings – what they referred to as listening sessions – on March 23. Through these discussions with area residents, the hospital’s leadership team quickly honed a plan to make a sustainable facility possible.

“Physician recruitment will be a priority,” said hospital CEO Amy O’Brien.

One of the first steps will be to add an obstetrician to the roster. In order to bring a birthing center back to Audrian County, however, Noble Health will need to add anesthesia and pediatric services.

The company works on a unique model, where closely aligned hospitals — Noble Health also owns the facility in Fulton — share specialists. They believe this will allow them to increase the services provided without undue costs to patients.

But there is an added benefit of adding OB and related physicians.

“Bringing OB services back will increase our Medicaid population, which will allow us to return to 340b drug pricing,” O’Brien said.

Essentially, this level of drug pricing will mean significant reductions in what the hospital pays for certain medications, particularly for those used to treat cancer patients. For O’Brien, the potential ripple effect leads to greater improvements.

Among Noble Health’s goals is to expand cancer care services.

Bringing services back to a hospital that had been downsized and suffered hits to its reputation over recent years was one of the subjects area residents brought up most often during the meetings.

“In Mexico we heard the need for dermatology,” O’Brien said. “We also talked about adding orthopedic and pain management.”

There are several clinics affiliated with the hospital. O’Brien notes that people in communities with existing clinics sought assurances those would remain in place. People in towns where clinics had closed down asked if there was any thought given to bringing them back.

Mental health services were of concern to local educators.

“Several school administrators wanted to find ways for us to help them provide on-site services for the kids and their parents,” O’Brien pointed out.

The meetings revealed a list of healthcare needs.

To help fill some of those, Noble Health is working to partner with the University of Central Missouri’s nursing degree program, as well as hiring from the pool of nurses developed through the Moberly Area Community College.

Peterson targeted the retention of a third of the $15 million that leaves here for Columbia, Jefferson City or the St. Louis area.

“I’d like to go for half of that so we have a cushion,” O’Brien said.