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'No Mercy' Chapter 2: Unimaginable, After a Century, That Their Hospital Would Close

By Sarah Jane Tribble

Can鈥檛 see the audio player?聽.

Closing a hospital hurts. In Fort Scott, Kansas, no one was a bigger symbol for that loss 鈥 or bigger target for the town鈥檚 anger 鈥 than hospital president Reta Baker. Baker was at the helm when the hospital doors closed.

鈥淚 don't even like going out in the community anymore, because I get confronted all the time,鈥 Baker said. 鈥淪omeone confronted me at Walmart. You know 鈥 鈥楬ow could you let this happen?鈥欌

The closure put Baker at bitter odds with City Manager Dave Martin, who some in town call 鈥渢he Little Trump鈥 of Fort Scott. Martin said his town wasn鈥檛 given the chance to keep the hospital open.

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Reta Baker (Christopher Smith for KHN)

鈥淲here It Hurts鈥 is a podcast collaboration between KHN and St. Louis Public Radio. Season One extends the storytelling from Sarah Jane Tribble鈥檚 award-winning series, 鈥No Mercy.鈥

Subscribe to Where It Hurts on , , , or .

And to hear all KHN podcasts,聽click here.

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