Legislative Committee Endorses Lifeline For North Dakota Hospital in Danger of Closing

(Photo by Jacob Orledge/North Dakota Monitor)

(North Dakota Monitor) – Lawmakers are recommending a green light for a bill aiming to save a local hospital in southwest North Dakota.

Senate Bill 2403 would authorize the Bank of North Dakota to issue an emergency low-interest operating loan of up to $5 million to a hospital in financial distress. The bill was proposed by a trio of District 31 lawmakers to stabilize the Jacobson Memorial Hospital in Elgin.

The hospital is in danger of closing its doors and is operating payroll to payroll due to years of financial mismanagement and leadership turnover, a representative of the hospital’s board testified Wednesday.

“Keeping this hospital operational will save lives,” said Rep. Karen Rohr, R-Mandan, one of the bill sponsors.