October 28, 2021
By News Director Jared Atha
This week, Congressman Frank Lucas of Cheyenne (OK-03), U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), and U.S. Senator James Lankford (R-Okla.) introduced the HARMON Oklahoma Act, a bill that would ensure Harmon Memorial Hospital, a rural hospital in Hollis, can remain open. This bill is the next step in a long list of efforts the members have engaged on in an attempt to help prevent Harmon from closing.
In a joint statement, Lucas said “After years of back-and-forth communication with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), I was happy to hear that CMS has provided flexibility and extended the hospital’s designation as a critical access hospital.” Lucas went on to say “Congress must pass the HARMON Oklahoma Act, ensuring Harmon Memorial Hospital can continue to provide local health care for communities.” he concluded by saying that he’s “looking forward to making sure rural communities across southwest Oklahoma have access to the essential services Harmon Memorial provides.”
Senator Jim Inhofe said in the statement that “While the extension secured in June due to the public health emergency will give the hospital some peace of mind, the HARMON Act will solidify the hospital’s future. This will ensure the essential workers that are serving the surrounding community can continue to do their work for years to come, benefiting all the folks in the area who rely on the hospital’s services.”
Senator James Lankford said “After years of countless phone calls and letters pushing the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to extend Harmon Hospital’s critical access status, we finally attained a temporary extension of their status earlier this year. Our bill holds the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to their word by ensuring Harmon Hospital can maintain its critical access designation to prevent bureaucrats in Washington, DC, from forcing them to close their doors and hurt our neighbors in southwest Oklahoma.”
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