(KAIR)--United States Senator Jerry Moran made a stop in Atchison Sunday afternoon, and was treated to a tour of the Atchison Hospital.

The tour, led by hospital Chief Financial Officer Gary Foll, allowed Moran to experience first hand how the facility serves the people of Atchison. Moran says that healthcare is one of the most important issues that a community faces. “I care a lot about communities in Kansas and their future, and whether or not there is access to healthcare determins in so many ways whether a community has a future. There are 127 hospitals in our state. I have visited each of them. I was here at this hospital a number of years ago as it was being built. I wanted to come back and hear from hospital and community officials about what is going on here so I could understand that, but perhaps more importantly to make sure if there are issues that we can be of help to this hospital, I want to be engaged in that.”

Moran added that when it comes to healthcare, most communities in the state are struggling. “The margins at a community hospital are very minimal. Some hospitals are losing money. Many of our communities across Kansas struggle to have physicians and mid levels healthcare providers, and if you don't have a doctor admitting patients, then you don't have the revenue to keep hospital doors open.”

Moran also had good things to say about the hospital after his tour was completed. He said that he “was very impressed with the building, this is a beautiful hospital, but I also listen to the people who work here, and you can tell they are fully committed to providing quality healthcare, and then the facts and figures they told me confirm that good things are happening here. So it would appear to me that this is a hospital that is meeting the needs of its community, and doing well despite all the uncertainty and difficulty that comes from  healthcare rules, regulations, and laws.”

Moran also discussed the Affordable Care Act, saying that he thinks that it creates huge problems for providers, those who are trying to pay for insurance, as well as employers and businesses who are trying to do what the law requires.