CRMC Presenting Resolution To Council Thursday Selling CRH

Cookeville Regional Medical Center will present a resolution to city council members Thursday to accept a new offer on Cumberland River Hospital.

CRMC Chief Executive Officer Paul Korth discussed the resolution with Cookeville city officials during Monday’s work session.

“[It’s the] Hardest thing we’ve ever done,” Korth said. “All the way from closing it to this, It’s been a painful ordeal to be honest with you. It’s something that wasn’t good in the first place having to close, so we’re excited about giving someone the opportunity to open up services back in that community, which they need healthcare services.”

The resolution will come one week after CRMC’s Board of Trustees voted to accept a $200,000 bid from Crossville nurse practitioner Johnny Pressley to purchase the Celina hospital. The home health license will still be sold to Celina Healthcare, LLC at $300,000.

Korth said Celina Healthcare did not intend on reopening the Celina facility as a hospital.

“I spoke to Steve Clapp who was the second-lowest bidder (Celina Healthcare) and he basically said, ‘I don’t want the hospital, I really would just like to have the home health operations,'” Korth said. “We did bid out the whole package together, but anybody was able to bid on just [one item]. If they wanted just the home health, they could’ve bid on the home health just as easily as bidding on the whole thing.”

According to CRMC Legal Consultant Luke Hill, the resolution will amend the Cumberland River Hospital, Inc. charter, allowing CRMC and the City of Cookeville to sell the facility to Pressley.

Cookeville City Council will consider the resolution during Thursday’s meeting beginning at 5:30 p.m.