State lists Perry County Memorial Hospital as critical access

The Indiana Department of Health updated its hospital directory on Jan. 12 to list Perry County Memorial Hospital in Tell City as a state-licensed critical access facility. The directory entry gives the hospital's address and phone number as 8885 SR 237, Tell City, IN 47586 and 812-547-7011, information residents can use to reach emergency and inpatient services close to home.

Critical access designation is central to rural health policy. In practice, it helps small hospitals maintain inpatient capacity and stabilizes funding streams that are vital to keeping emergency departments and basic inpatient care available in counties like Perry. For residents who face long drives to larger regional hospitals, a local critical access hospital can mean the difference between timely emergency care and delayed treatment.

For Perry County this listing confirms a public record of the hospital's licensing status and its role in the local health system. The directory notes the facility is state licensed and that set up and staffed inpatient beds are listed in the state entry. The hospital's physical location on SR 237 and the direct phone line provide immediate practical value for families, ambulance services and community organizations arranging care or transfers.

The public health implications extend beyond convenience. Rural hospitals are safety nets for older adults, people with mobility or transportation challenges, and residents without reliable access to private vehicles. Maintaining a staffed inpatient unit supports continuity of care after emergency visits and can reduce the need for transfers to distant hospitals, which often burden patients with added travel costs and care disruption.

Policy decisions at the state and federal level affect whether critical access hospitals stay open and staffed. Cost-based Medicare reimbursements and other support mechanisms are designed to shore up rural providers, but funding, workforce shortages and policy shifts remain persistent concerns for communities. Local leaders and health planners should track changes in licensing, bed counts and service lines, because those details shape what care is available here at home.

For Perry County residents, the immediate takeaway is practical: save the hospital's contact information and share it with neighbors who may need quick access to care. For policymakers and community advocates, the listing is a reminder that sustaining local health infrastructure requires ongoing attention to funding, staffing and equitable access. Expect this directory entry to be a reference point as officials and residents discuss the county's health services in the months ahead.