Cumberland River Hospital Owner Shares Buying Price With Celina

Cumberland River Hospital Owner Johnny Presley has shared a price with Celina Mayor Luke Collins to purchase the facility.

Collins said it will cost $1.5 million to strike a deal.

“The only thing that is limiting us is us,” Collins said. “We just have to decide as a community to make it happen, and if the people of Clay County and the people of Celina decide they want a hospital, and they’re willing to spend some money for it, then we can do it.”

However, Collins said Celina owning the center means also taking on the debt that will come with it. Collins said the city lacks the financial resources to take on the deficit. Collis said but a county partnership could make reopening the hospital possible.

“There is a lot of county court members that have told me they would support it,” Collins said. “We have to have six votes at the end of the day, and I think that we can do it.”

Collins said American Rescue Plan money could be a way to make the purchase happen. Collins said both the city and county will receive enough funds to cover the price tag.

“We won’t know for sure until September,” Collins said. “The county is getting a little less than $1.5 million as I understand it in COVID money over two years. The city is going to get $380,000 over the next couple of years. It looks like the timing is good to have the money to purchase a hospital.”

The Cumberland River Hospital shut down a year ago because of financial struggles. Collins said a part of reopening would be community support to keep the door open.

“Once the hospital gets open, we need them to come when they are sick, and they tell me they will,” Collins said. “I think sometimes you don’t appreciate what you got until you lose it and we lost it and we know how important it is to get it back.”