News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Pickett County Executive Stephen Bilbrey said he will put attracting additional medical facilities to the community at the top of his list.
That after Byrdstown Medical Center closed its doors last week with roughly 24-hour notice. Owner Andrew Todd announced on his Facebook page a lack of Medicaid expansion as the reason for the closure. Bilbrey said the medical office had been an asset to the community for over 30 years.
“I thought things were going pretty good, so it’s a sad day for Byrdstown, Pickett County, for the whole region because we had a lot of folks from different counties that came up for medical services at Byrdstown Medical Center,” Bilbrey said.
The closure leaves Pickett County with one one medical facility, First Choice Family Care. Bilbrey said attracting another medical facility to the the Byrdstown Medical Center office space is a priority.
“It is privately owned,” Bilbrey said. “I have spoken with the owner a couple of different times. He’s wanting to do something with the building, but again it’s privately owned, so I can’t force him to do anything with the building at this point, but our goal is to work with him and the community and our leaders to bring in another medical opportunity there.”
Bilbrey said 25 to 35 employees lost their jobs when the medical center closed.
“A lot of the employees and doctors that were out there have found other employment, but there is still some at the last talk I had with them still haven’t found employment,” Bilbrey said. “Again, we’d like to keep those employees in Pickett County.”
Bilbrey said he does not know how to put the patients who used the facility as their primary care at ease, and he hopes they do not seek medical care outside the county. He said the closure will have an economic impact on the community.
“When one business hurts or one business closes, it effects all the other businesses,” Bilbrey said. “When people are coming out of town to see the doctors here, while they’re here they may stop at the grocery store, gas stations, one of the restaurants, so it’s a trickle down effect as far as the county goes.”
