hospitals

Gov. Mark Gordon signed eight bills into law on Monday and allowed one to become law without his signature.

Wyoming Public Radio’s Kamila Kudelska went to Cheyenne a day before the House and Senate reconciled their versions of the budget bill to check in with the Wyoming Hospital Association President Eric Boley. He shared how the budget and some bills going through the legislative session may help or hurt Wyoming’s healthcare situation.

The bill dictates how federal money can be used in the state and creates a perpetual fund. The legislature has also moved a bill that would change hospitals' ability to declare bankruptcy and one that requires hospitals to have a list of standard service charges.

The Labor and Health Committee identified maternity health deserts as its number one priority for the past two years. This year, it’s sponsoring bills to reimburse birthing centers through Medicaid and protect pregnancy centers from government regulations.

River Peak Health will feature emergency and primary care, as well as trauma, orthopedics and 24/7 surgery capabilities.

The 'Big Beautiful Bill' cuts Medicaid spending by $1 trillion over 10 years. Wyoming healthcare stakeholders say as a result, thousands will lose insurance, and hospitals and nursing homes are at a higher risk of closing.

A new report shows that nearly half of metro areas in the U.S. – including some in the Mountain West – have only one or two health systems controlling all inpatient care. Experts say that’s driving up the prices that patients have to pay.

The Labor, Health and Social Services Committee’s top subject during this interim was how to increase the number of labor and delivery and maternity health care professionals in the state. This, after the state lost three labor and delivery units over the past six years.

Operating room personnel in Casper couldn't clean their limited supply of surgical instruments, leading to contingency plans to send patients to other area hospitals if they run out.

The Joint Labor, Health and Social Services Committee took on this issue as an interim topic. Testimony from health and state officials paint a picture of decreasing deliveries, difficulty recruiting and retaining OB-GYNs, and closures of labor and delivery units in the state.