At the Oct. 1, 2026, Medicaid Listening Tour in Louisville, Dr. Swannie Jett, CEO of Park DuValle Community Health Center, was among the official speakers to describe the crises that will befall Kentucky and Louisville with the cutting of almost $1 trillion in Medicaid funds. He went further as he spoke of the need for a one payer system.
Community advocates spoke of the impact the cuts will have on those with low incomes and on the therapists and others who work to heal them.
Kentuckians for Single Payer Health Care was there with their flyer listing the 35 Kentucky Hospitals at risk of closing and calling for the restoration of the Medicaid funds and the enactment of an Improved Medicare for All, free from profit. Jill Harmer spoke first, followed by Harriette Seiler, Paul Hoppe and Kay Tillow.
Kentucky Hospitals at risk of closing
- Advent Health, Manchester
- Baptist Health Corbin, Corbin
- Baptist Health Madisonville, Madisonville
- Barbourville ARH Hospital, Barbourville
- Bourbon Community Hospital, Paris
- Carroll County Memorial Hosp, Carrollton
- Casey County Hospital, Liberty
- Clark Regional Med Center, Winchester
- Deaconess Henderson Hosp, Henderson
- Fleming County Hospital, Flemingsburg
- Fort Logan Hospital, Stanford
- Harlan ARH, Harlan
- Highlands Reg Med Center, Prestonsburg
- Jane Todd Crawford Hospital, Greensburg
- Kentucky River Medical Center, Jackson
- Marcum & Wallace Memorial Hosp, Irvine
- Mary Breckinridge Hospital, Hyden
- McDowell ARH, McDowell
- Middlesboro ARH, Middlesboro
- Our Lady of the Way, Martin
- Owensboro Twin Lakes Med, Leitchfield
- Pineville Comm Health Center, Pineville
- Russell County Hospital, Russell Springs
- Saint Joseph Berea, Berea
- Saint Joseph Mount Sterling, Mt. Sterling
- Spring View Hospital, Lebanon
- St. Claire Medical Center, Morehead
- T. J. Samson Community Hosp, Glasgow
- The Medical Center of Albany, Albany
- The Medical Ctr at Caverna, Horse Cave
- Three Rivers Medical Center, Louisa
- TJ Health Columbia, Columbia
- Tug Valley ARH, South Williamson
- UofL Health-Shelbyville, Shelbyville
- Whitesburg ARH, Whitesburg
Two days later KSPH spent a glorious fall day reaching out to the public at the Oct. 3 Festival at the Trellis Brewery.
You can join in the activities, get on the mailing list for KSPH, or join the semimonthly internet meetings.
Just let us know at nursenpo@aol.com.