Most of us learned from an early age that hospitals and emergency rooms provide lifesaving care in a crisis. Regardless of the time of day (or night), we could go to our local ER with chest pains or a dangerous gash and medical professionals would be there to help.

For a long time, this was true.

But over the past decade, a concerning trend has taken hold: Throughout California’s rural communities, hospitals are vanishing. 

I'm a contract specialist for a California hospital, processing union grievances and ensuring the contract between the hospital and workers is upheld by both parties. I see firsthand the financial stresses on the system – and the hospital closures happening just down the road. Here, those closures are a big concern. It seems like wherever I go – whether I’m running errands, going grocery shopping or having dinner with my family – the topic comes up, and everyone gets quiet because we know how dangerous another closure would be. 

You see, last fall, families in nearby Glenn County saw their county’s only hospital, Glenn Medical Center, close its doors. Now, the nearest hospital is Colusa Medical Center, almost 40 minutes away, and residents there are essentially stranded without easily accessible emergency health........

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