Geary County Commissioner Ben Bennett had a recent conversation with U.S. Senator Jerry Moran in Washington D.C. about the financial challenges facing Geary Community Hospital in Junction City.

Bennett said he suggested to the Senator that the hospital in Junction City was in financial difficulty as are many others around Kansas. ” That was evidenced by the closing of hospitals in two communities, Independence and Fort Scott just recently.”

Bennett thanked Moran for the work he has done for the local community in supporting the new hospital at Fort Riley, the MEDCOM and the Veterans Affairs clinics which are now in the community. “Hopefully that he could look at something that he might able to do to support our local hospital that’s losing money and losing patients to those other activities, and it’s going to be difficult for us to keep the doors open year after year by losing over a million dollars a year in revenues.”

Bennett added the Senator responded by saying he would look at the issue. The Commissioner indicated he is also communicating with 1st District Congressman Roger Marshall on the matter.

Bennett talked with the Senator during a recent AUSA convention trip to the nation’s capitol. He updated the Geary Community Hospital Board of Trustees on the subject during their monthly meeting on Tuesday.

There have been recent discussions between Geary Community Hospital and Salina Regional Health Center about a possible merger, but nothing has been finalized at this point as those talks continue.