News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Cumberland River Hospital Owner Johnny Presley will meet October 20th with Clay County leaders and EMS to resolve their differences.
Celina Mayor Tonya Spears and Clay County Mayor Dale Reagan agreed upon the date during a public meeting held by Presley Tuesday night. About 20 residents attended as well to voice concerns about the hospitals closure.
Presley said the future of the hospital is in question unless progress is made.
“Cumberland River Hospital will not be reopened until several issues are resolved,” Presley said. “Number one, resolving some financial funding issues through medicare, but secondly will be correcting the problem with the current local EMS situation.”
The hospital closed in August after Celina EMS and State EMS Director Mark Pressley reported three EMTALA violations. Presley said the violations are false claims and accuses EMS of diverting patients to other healthcare facilities.
Both Boone and Pressley were not present for Tuesday’s meeting, but Spears said she will make sure both are present at October’s meeting.
“We will be getting together and having further conversation about the hospital and our EMS and out stakeholders that are involved,” Spears said. “And try to come to the table and discuss some issues and try to make some progress and move forward.”
Presley said regardless of what happens at the meeting, reopening the hospital would take up to a full year, because Medicare’s audit process on the facility and local EMS takes about six months.
Currently, the hospital clinic remains open Monday through Friday with X-ray capabilities.
