How life changed in a rural town that lost its clinic after Trump's megabill

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Source: CNN Politics

PUBLISHED Nov 30, 2025, 7:01 AM ET


Churchville, Virginia — As the final hues of autumn linger in the Blue Ridge Mountains, the 200-person community of Churchville, Virginia, is grappling with the loss of its health clinic. Gone are the days of seniors walking down the road from their house to see the town doctor. 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 other locations.

“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,” said Teresa Leach, 56, in an interview while sipping her coffee at the MTN. Mystic shop just a few feet from the shuttered clinic. Leach, who has asthma, said she voted for Trump last year.

Democrats are hoping to make health care a defining issue nationally in next year’s midterms. But the environment in Churchville illustrates the challenges the party faces, particularly in rural communities.

Trump carried Augusta County, which includes Churchville, by nearly 50 points in 2024. Jena Crisler, a physician, ran to represent the area in the Virginia House of Delegates and lost this month to the Republican incumbent by more than 40 points even in a Democratic statewide sweep.

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2025/11/30/politics/trump-one-big-beautiful-bill-rural-healthcare

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Trump carried Augusta County, which includes Churchville, by nearly 50 points in 2024.Jena Crisler, a physician, ran to represent the area in the Virginia House of Delegates and lost this month to the Republican incumbent by more than 40 points even in a Democratic statewide sweep.