Churchville, Virginia
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As the closing hues of autumn linger in the Blue Ridge Mountains, the 200-person neighborhood of Churchville, Virginia, is grappling with the lack of its well being clinic.
Gone are the days of seniors strolling down the highway from their home to see the town physician.
Augusta Medical Group cited the health care provisions in President Donald Trump’s signature legislation, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, for closing the rural clinics in Churchville and two different areas.
“I’ve called around trying to find a replacement, a new doctor, and for just a well-being appointment, the soonest is the end of January,” mentioned Teresa Leach, 56, in an interview whereas sipping her espresso at the MTN. Mystic store simply a few toes from the shuttered clinic. Leach, who has bronchial asthma, mentioned she voted for Trump final yr.
Democrats are hoping to make well being care a defining challenge nationally in subsequent yr’s midterms. But the atmosphere in Churchville illustrates the challenges the celebration faces, significantly in rural communities.
Trump carried Augusta County, which incorporates Churchville, by practically 50 factors in 2024. Jena Crisler, a doctor, ran to symbolize the space in the Virginia House of Delegates and lost this month to the Republican incumbent by greater than 40 factors even in a Democratic statewide sweep.
A lady sitting in the similar espresso store whispered underneath her breath that she supported former Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024. It takes her over an hour to go to her medical doctors in Charlottesville. Rural well being care is all the time precarious, she says, and the clinic closure was particularly a blow for her husband.
But she mentioned she wouldn’t put up a signal for a Democrat “because of the environment,” and he or she declined to be named by NCS.
Across the road from the espresso store, a signal in the window of a storefront reads, “Thank you, Trump, Save America Again.”
Rural well being suppliers that depend on Medicaid funding have been already underneath pressure earlier than the invoice minimize federal well being spending by a whole bunch of billions of {dollars} over the subsequent decade, primarily by instituting work necessities and extra eligibility checks.
Lynlee Thorne, political director of Rural Ground Game, a group targeted on driving up Democratic participation in rural areas, says Democrats will proceed highlighting the significance of accessible well being care by means of town hall-style occasions and canvassing, attempting to win again credibility and belief in rural America.
“I think people have an interest in having real conversations about what’s going on with their lives, and there’s really nothing that can replace that person to person at your doorstep conversation,” Thorne mentioned.
Crisler knew she confronted lengthy odds when she took on incumbent Delegate Chris Runion in the state’s thirty fifth district. She suggests her race was much less about the final result and extra about the want for Democrats to indicate up in every single place as a substitute of merely surrendering communities the place they’re outnumbered.
“I think they are very concerned, and they’re going to be even more when it starts hitting them personally,” mentioned Crisler of the clinic closures.
A spokesperson for Runion mentioned he was not obtainable for remark.
NCS has reached out to US Rep. Ben Cline, a Republican who represents the space in Washington and voted for the Trump coverage invoice. His workplace didn’t reply.
Pediatrician Mark Downey defeated incumbent Republican Chad Green in the state’s 69th district, which incorporates Newport News, York, James City and Gloucester counties. In an interview with NCS, he mentioned it’s vital Democrats proceed to run on well being care even if the message doesn’t instantly resonate with voters.
“It may not happen overnight. People’s minds don’t change right away, but when they start seeing loss of access, loss of services, eventually there’s going to be a situation where it’s not going to be as convenient for them or more of a hardship for them,” mentioned Downey, who had made two earlier unsuccessful tries for the state legislature.
Irene Holmes, 59, moved to Churchville three years in the past. When her son died, she and her husband wished a change of surroundings from New York. Beset with a host of medical challenges from liver points to hypertension, she relied on and valued the town clinic.
“I’m a mixed bag of tricks, a lot of medical issues,” she mentioned.
On politics, she tends to “keep her mouth shut” to keep away from moving into it along with her neighbors. But when requested if Trump was accountable for the clinic closure, Holmes mentioned, “Absolutely.”
“What he’s done is destroying rural areas,” mentioned Holmes.
Dale White, a Churchville resident and church administrator, says the issues about the clinic are overblown.
“These are old-time rural farming folks, and they’ve been going to get medical care in Staunton and Fishersville, Waynesboro and Charlottesville since they can remember,” mentioned White.
Back at the MTN. Mystic coffeehouse, store proprietor Dane Buse suggests now’s the time for rural communities to get artistic.
“To lose the clinic is the same as losing a grocery store or a local provider,” Buse mentioned.
He prompt the neighborhood may band collectively to search out a physician to make home calls.
“Maybe that would fit the bill for us,” Buse mentioned.