Hannibal Regional CEO Talks About Hospital’s Progress at Chamber of Commerce Meeting

By Ella Aguilar

The Iron Gate Estate joins the Palmyra Chamber of Commerce with a ribbon-cutting ceremony

The Palmyra Chamber of Commerce met at Iron Gate Estate, where a ribbon-cutting ceremony was hosted to welcome them into the Chamber. The Chamber also heard from the CEO of Hannibal Regional Hospital, Todd Ahrens, who discussed the Hospital’s Mission, History, and the 2025 Community Benefit Summary.

Hannibal Regional’s Mission has always been “Your Health is Our Mission.” The hospital first started with Levering Hospital and later St. Elizabeth’s, and those buildings were close to 100 years old at the time. Hannibal Regional’s main complex was built and opened in 1993 to bring modern medicine to the community. The hospital now employs over 1,700 employees across 14 communities, offering local medical care instead of having to travel to Columbia, St. Louis, or further. With over 200 physicians or providers available, Hannibal Medical Group provides high-quality care in rural Missouri.

Ahrens mentioned the increasing challenges related to funding, especially with birth centers that have closed. In 2025, Hannibal Regional birthed about 600 babies, which is the average.

One of the board’s highest priorities is keeping healthcare local and not joining large corporations such as Mizzou or SSM. While Hannibal Regional is a non-profit and tax-exempt, they are currently building a cancer center in Kirksville, where the local hospital is a for-profit company based in Tennessee.

In ways that Hannibal Regional wants to improve its access to local pediatric and adult psychiatric care rather than having to travel to St. Louis or Columbia. They are also continuing to try to grow their orthopedic surgery department.

With Medicaid qualification now at 138% of the Federal Poverty Level, Hannibal Regional loses about $27 million, including almost $8 million from Medicare. Of revenue (estimate), 70% is from Medicaid, while the remaining 30% is from Private Insurance or out-of-pocket. Ahrens said, “People still need healthcare, whether they can afford it or not.”

Hannibal Regional offers Patient Assistance programs for anyone who cannot afford to pay their medical bills without insurance. Their program helps with either the full amount or partial amounts, making sure that everyone can pay only what they can afford.

Hannibal Regional has partnered with Hannibal LaGrange University and Culver-Stockton College to create a pipeline for nurses and other medical professionals. With HLGU, Hannibal Regional pays for the nurses’ tuition and, in exchange, they will work at Hannibal Regional for a set number of years. Starting in July 2027, Hannibal Regional will also offer an Internal Medicine Residency Program to help bring in new doctors locally.

When asked about a challenge in healthcare, Ahrens mentioned the amount of workplace violence that happens to nurses. According to a study done by National Nurses United, 8 in 10 nurses (81.6%) have experienced at least one type of workplace violence in the last year. Compared to previous years, nearly half of nurses (45.5%) reported an increase in workplace violence from the previous year; however, only 3.8% saw a decrease. The three most common types of violence for nurses are: verbal threats (67.8%), physical threats (38.7%), and being pinched, scratched, or pushed (37.3%). Another challenge is making sure that nurses are paid appropriately. Ahrens said that “nurses don’t want to work where they cannot afford their life and also experience violence.”

Hannibal Regional continues to provide quality healthcare and workplaces for its community, making sure that healthcare can continue to be local.

The Chamber of Commerce will meet next time on August 11 at the Rebel Pig.