This is the third article in a special series from the Mexico Ledger where former employees of the Audrain Community Hospital have been left with thousands of dollars of unpaid medical bills and unpaid wages.

This is the story of Barb and Glen Gregory. Barb is a registered nurse who started working with Dr. Waheed's office in 1995 and eventually went to work at the hospital in 2006. It was known as Audrain Medical Center then. Barb and Glen are both cancer survivors. They are the first couple to be selected as Heroes of Hope as cancer survivors. Barb was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2009.

As many of you know Noble Health took over ownership of the hospital from SSM in Jan. 2021. On March 25, 2022 Noble Health requested a temporary license suspension and about a month later Platinum Team Management assumed control of the hospitals from Noble.

" I started having insurance coverage issues in March of 2022," said Barb Gregory. " I kept getting bills from places saying your insurance is not paying. I went to the office manager Kim Menefee and she ran it up to Audrain Community Hospital CEO Amy O'Brien. They kept working on it,” said  Barb Gregory.

Barb's husband Glen was also on her hospital insurance plan. In January, 2022 he became sick and was in the hospital for 10 days. He found out he was having heart issues. Barb and Glen checked on their health insurance which was under Health EZ under Noble and were told that Glen was covered for a Pacemaker to be installed. Those bills are still on hold to the tune of $65,000 that remain unpaid. Barb is not only a cancer survivor, however worked at the Cancer Center in Mexico.

"Toward the end when the hospital was closing it was so  very sad. We had patients calling and asking where did you go and aksing where to go for cancer treatment. We had to tell people in order for personal survival you need to get treatment elsewhere," said Barb Gregory.

Investigations are ongoing into the former owners of the hospital Noble Health/Platinum Team Management by the Missouri Attorney General's Office on a state level and Senator Josh Hawley's office on a federal level.

Those former employees are being encouraged to reach out and tell their stories by contacting MO Representative: Kent Haden at 573-751-3649 or kent.haden@house.mo.gov.State Senator Cindy O'Laughlin at 573-751-7985. Governor Mike Parson at 573-751-3222. And Missouri Attorney General: Andrew Bailey at 573-751-3321. These are their office numbers so you will be talking to a staffer to give your information.