'We'll never know if he could have been saved.' The gaps in Trump's rural health fund
The closure of Martin General Hospital in North Carolina has left residents without adequate emergency healthcare services. Debra Pierce reflects on her brother's death from a heart attack, questioning whether he could have been saved if the hospital had remained open. Despite a $50 billion rural health fund aimed at improving healthcare in rural areas, local officials believe it will not address the specific needs of Martin County.
- ▪Debra Pierce's brother, Stanley Sears, died from a heart attack in 2024 after the local hospital closed in 2023.
- ▪Emergency crews struggled to revive Sears due to the distance to the nearest hospital, which is often overcrowded.
- ▪The $50 billion rural health fund is not expected to directly benefit Martin County because its hospital is closed.
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| Canonical URL | https://www.npr.org/2026/05/22/nx-s1-5821038/rural-health-hospitals-50-billion-big-beautiful-bill-obbba |
| Publication time | Fri, 22 May 2026 05:00:00 -0400 |
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Healthcare 'We'll never know if he could have been saved.' The gaps in Trump's rural health fund May 22, 20265:00 AM ET From By Sarah Jane Tribble , Amanda Seitz Debra Pierce holds up a picture of Stanley Sears, her brother, while standing in the yard of the mobile home he was renovating before his death in 2024. Pierce believes North Carolina's Martin County needs higher-level emergency services and a hospital. Sarah Jane Tribble/KFF Health News hide caption toggle caption Sarah Jane Tribble/KFF Health News WILLIAMSTON, N.C. — Two years after her brother's death, Debra Pierce still wonders whether the 50-year-old would have survived his heart attack if her local hospital hadn't closed.
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