Hospital May Go To Voters If Cuts Pass

DAYTON - The Columbia County Hospital District and members of the community are rallying all resources and writing letters to legislators to stop a proposed $404,000 budget cut to Dayton General Hospital that will be on the table in the upcoming special session.

"It's the big news of our community," hospital CEO Charlie Button said. "If we don't act, the potential could be that we could close."

Button said the proposed cut would mean the current cost-based reimbursement model for critical access hospitals that helps Dayton's hospital care for Medicare patients would be removed.

"We don't make...