Alva Review-Courier -

Many rural areas of the U.S. are experiencing a healthcare crisis. Meeting even the most basic healthcare needs means a long drive in many sparsely populated areas of this country.

In Oklahoma, we hear news of communities losing their hospitals, and more rural hospitals are at risk of closing.

I attend monthly meetings of the Alva Hospital Authority. That group is struggling to keep costs low while providing the best healthcare they can with a very tight budget. Reports of a positive, as opposed to a negative, bottom line are rare these days. Every month, the board and staff look at ways to im...