Ratcliffe tours Atlanta hospital

By Randy Grider
randy@casscountynow.com

U.S. Rep. John Ratcliffe (R-Texas) was in Cass County this past week, where he toured CHRISTUS St. Michael-Atlanta. He said he has a great appreciation for the challenges facing rural hospitals. 
“Rural hospitals have been particularly hard hit by some of the provisions of the Affordable Care Act or Obamacare ,” Ratcliffe said.  “Affiliate rural hospitals, because of socio-economic factors, also see a high population of care that is uncompensated. It all ties in with the larger issues of how an expansive federal bureaucracy impacts small businesses of all kinds in places like rural East Texas.
“It’s community hospitals, community banks and small businesses that are constantly dealing with an expanding bureaucracy that makes it harder to stay in business.”
The first-term congressman is running for re-election, where he faces Libertarian candidate Cody Wommack. 
“To come and tour hospitals like this and meet with administrators and employees at a place like this gives me the opportunity to see how the policies in Washington actually takes them away from being just policies on paper. I can see the practical impact these polices have on everyday people in Cass County and the hospital that trying to take care of people here.
This was Ratcliffe’s first visit to CHRISTUS St. Michael-Atlanta.
“I am incredibly impressed with the level of care and commitment that this facility can provide to the people of Cass County,” Ratcliffe said. “I tour a lot of rural community hospitals and the capabilities and expansions that are taking place here are far beyond what I typically see in a rural hospital. It really drives home the point how fortunate the folks in Cass County are to have this as the only hospital in the county.”