Trinity, TX — April 23, 2025
The residents of Trinity County are once again facing a healthcare crisis as Mid Coast Medical Center, the county’s only hospital, prepares to close its doors this Friday, April 25. The closure comes barely 14 months after the facility was reopened with hopes of restoring critical healthcare access to the rural community.
Mid Coast Health System, which took over the hospital building in early 2024, cited overwhelming financial difficulties as the reason behind the decision. The challenges included delays in obtaining Medicare and Medicaid billing approval, a lack of commercial insurance agreements, and a patient revenue stream that fell far below projections. Rising operational costs only added to the strain.
“We gave it everything we had,” said a spokesperson for Mid Coast Health System. “But without the proper reimbursement channels in place, and with patient volumes not meeting expectations, it became impossible to maintain operations.”
The closure echoes a painful history for Trinity residents, many of whom remember when East Texas Medical Center, the former hospital at the same site, closed in 2017. That left the community without local emergency care for nearly seven years—until Mid Coast’s reopening brought renewed hope.
Now, the nearest emergency care facilities will be 30 miles away, in Crockett and Huntsville. For rural residents, many of whom are elderly or lack reliable transportation, this distance could mean the difference between life and death in critical situations.
The Mid Coast Medical Clinic, also located in Trinity, will remain open for the next month while the hospital district searches for a new healthcare partner to take over operations. However, no specific timeline has been set for a potential reopening.
Trinity County Hospital District, which owns the facility, has vowed to explore all avenues to bring healthcare back to the area. In the meantime, officials and healthcare advocates are encouraging the public to contact elected representatives in a push for federal assistance. Specifically, they’re asking for a waiver that would allow the hospital to qualify for the Rural Emergency Hospital designation, a status that could unlock vital federal funds.
“This is more than a local issue—it’s a reflection of the growing crisis in rural healthcare across America,” said a district board member. “We need state and federal leaders to recognize the urgency and step in before more lives are put at risk.”
Residents and hospital staff alike are mourning the loss, not just of jobs, but of a sense of safety and security that comes from having healthcare within reach.
For now, Trinity waits—again—hoping that a solution will come before the cost becomes too great.