News – Sheridan Media
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Physicians within the Sheridan Memorial Hospital could soon be able to spend more time with patients, if the hospital goes through with its change of designation proposal.
Earlier this year hospital leadership announced it was exploring the possibility of transitioning away from a prospective payment system and becoming a critical access facility.
According to a media release, the hospital has seen a dramatic change in how it is reimbursed for providing care to the community over the years.
The hospital system receives payment from commercial insurance companies as well as fixed payers such as Medicare, Medicaid and Veterans Affairs.
Today, fixed payers make up 67% of SMH’s payer mix.
The challenge with such a substantial percentage of fixed payers is that the payments from these sources do not cover the cost of providing care.
Sierra Gross is the hospital’s Chief Medical Officer.
She says to make up for it, physicians sometimes have to focus more on the quantity of patients, while providing less quality, but the hospital’s change in designation could help reverse some of that trend.
“A model like this where you can get reimbursed at 101% of cost, it would at least give some reprieve for our physicians to be able to continue opening up access, to have good access for our patients, but in a way that allows them that time to still maintain that physician-patient relationship.”
Gross says the hospital has applied to the state for the transition, but it could take up to 1 year before it becomes official, if approved.
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Last modified: May 10, 2026