Llano Regional Hospital stabilizes following county takeover
The Llano Regional Hospital is seeing signs of stabilization and even growth following a tumultuous separation from its previous operator in 2025. Staff photo by Dakota Morrissiey
Since Llano County took over operations of the Llano Regional Hospital in early 2025, the facility has reportedly doubled its operating revenue, quintupled its average daily patients, and dramatically increased its services. While the hospital is not yet profitable, its leadership is optimistic about its financial future in the aftermath of its separation from its previous operator.
Llano County owns the Llano Regional Hospital, but it also took over operations of the facility in March 2025 after a messy separation from the former operator, Mid Coast Health System. At the time, Mid Coast was contemplating ending operations amid concerns about the overall financial viability of the hospital, and furloughed 12 employees, including the CEO, to cut costs and services.
“When we regained full control of the hospital in 2025, we were effectively starting from scratch,” David Willmann, chairman of the Llano Regional Hospital, wrote in a Feb. 9 media release. “We inherited significant financial challenges, including more than $2.2 million in legacy debt, and at one point, were operating only an emergency room with no inpatient capacity.”
Since the March 2025 takeover, the hospital has hired a new CEO, Linda Walker. New leadership has secured over $1 million in state and federal grants for the hospital, and more financial support from local donors, the city of Llano, the Llano Economic Development Corporation, the Llano Hospital Foundation, and other charitable organizations.
According to the Feb. 9 media release, the hospital has increased its revenue from $263,000 to $539,000 in the last six months, and increased its daily average inpatient population from less than one to five per day.
“We cleared many hurdles and challenges, and while we still have a tall mountain to climb, we have a committed team and local indicators that reveal a demand for existing and additional Services,” Walker said. “We are positioning ourselves to fulfill those needs to ensure convenient, dependable, high-quality service.”
Future plans for the hospital include a new computer tomography (CT) scanner, refurbished beds, expanded rehabilitation services, and more on-site procedures.
“Population growth in Llano County will continue to increase the need for local healthcare services,” Chairman Willmann said. “Without a local hospital, emergency care is delayed, and families face needless tragedy. Otherwise, they travel farther for basic primary care services, and the entire community bears the costs and as employers experience more absenteeism the lifestyle suffers.”