August 27, 2025
Long Drives, Fading Trust mark New Rural Health Reality
It’s been more than three years since the closure of Audrain Community Hospital, ending more than a century of continuous local care in Mexico, Missouri.
Once a cornerstone of rural health in the region and the first community cancer center in the state, the hospital shuttered in March 2022 after a series of management failures under Noble Health and its successor, Platinum Health. For the thousands who relied on it, the closure didn’t just change where they went for care, it changed the very rhythm of their lives.
This same story has played out in rural counties throughout Missouri and the Midwest. Twenty-one hospitals have closed in Missouri in the past 10 years, many in rural areas. Residents must drive long distances for care or make the decision that it’s just not worth traveling until the pain is too great or the symptoms too strong to ignore.
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