News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Celina Healthcare, LLC will begin the process of reopening Cumberland River Hospital in the coming months.
Celina Healthcare President Steve Clapp said the first step in the process is completing the transaction with Cookeville Regional Medical Center (CRMC).
“Our goal is to start reinstatement of the licences for the hospital, home health, etc,” Clapp said. “It’s an interesting process. You have to get the licenses reactivated from when it was shut down. So the first step in that process will be getting the licenses reinstated and that will take a few months. You’ve got to work through the process with the state and the other bodies, Medicare, etc.”
Celina Healthcare originally submitted a $300,000 bid to purchase the Celina hospital in April. At the time, CRMC selected the higher bidder at the time – Ohio-based Osborn Group – and their $500,000 bid.
However, CRMC’s Board of Trustees voted last week to pursue the bid submitted by Clapp after funding fell through with the Osborn Group.
Clapp said his group will evaluate potential services to offer at the hospital in the coming months.
“As you’re looking at the services and so forth that are being offered at a facility like this, you want to make sure that there’s services people want,” Clapp said. “That’s usually displayed by if the patients and the residents of the community use those services. The main thing is making sure we offer services that can be utilized and will be utilized by the local residents.”
Clapp said he expects the transaction of the hospital to be completed by the end of the month. The transaction needs to be approved by Cookeville City Council as the City of Cookeville owns the hospital property.
CRMC closed the Celina hospital March 1 after reporting nearly $5.7 million in losses since taking over the facility in 2012.
