By Shannon McFarlin News Direcctor
Paris, Tenn.–At a busy meeting Monday night, the Henry County Commission heard an update from Henry County Medical Center CEO John Tucker –which included the news that the Paris-Henry County Medical Clinic will soon be under the HCMC–and approved a change in the PILOT agreement with Dana Sealing Products.
In a wide-ranging update, Tucker said plans are for the Paris-Henry County Clinic to come under HCMC April 1, 2023. He said all of the doctors at the clinic will be employed by the hospital. “We’re needing to be more closely aligned with primary care and we’ll be recruiting additional primary care physicians,” Tucker said. The hospital is looking at the possibility of creating some primary care walk-in services in the evenings.
The hospital is evaluating the viability of an off-site retail pharmacy to take better advantage of the hospital’s 340 (b) eligibility, he said.
Tucker said the hospital is working to redesign the surgery center to facilitate renovations necessary to reopen, which he said should happen late this year. The surgery center “has been closed longer than anyone wanted”, he said.
The hospital is planning for many elective orthopedics to transition there and is increasing the square footage of one of the operating rooms and increasing the spaces for instrument processing and sterilization. The first construction meeting was held last week, he said.
The hospital’s plans for lobby renovation have been approved by the state, with an eye to improving aesthetics and improving staff safety.
Tucker said Dr. Finley and Dr. Yemane have announced they will be leaving soon and internal medicine residency and recruitment will continue.
The audit processinto anonymous claims of embezzlement continues, he said, and the board will be updated at its meeting Thursday of this week. Hospital officials have said and continue to say there is no basis for the complaint.
In other business:
–Following a presentation by Paris-Henry County Industrial Committee Executive Director Rob Goad, commissioners approved a change in the PILOT (Payment In Lieu of Taxes) agreement with Dana Sealing Products.
Goad noted that the commission in 2019 approved the original PILOT agreement and in 2021, the commissioners approved the purchase by the Industrial Development Board of more equipment fom Dana. Under the agreement, Dana is to maintain 552 jobs during the lease term with an option for the Industial Development Board to modify or terminate the lease with Dana if that requirement is not met.
The IDB Board has received a request from Dana to increase the aggregate total amount of such equipment puchases by the IDB Board to $15,500,000, he said.
Goad said Dana “could remain stagnant or go somewhere else or they could continue to grow right here. In today’s world, we need to keep all the manufacturers here that we can.”
–The commission approved a long list of committee assignments and appointments for the year. Included in the appointments: Dr. Scott Portis appointed as Medical Examiner, with Dr. Terry Harrison and Dr. Paul Evans as Assistant Medical Examiners; County Historian David Webb; Courthouse Committee: Randy Gean, Charles Elizondo, Marty Visser, David Hayes, David Webb.
–The commission approved the annual listing of Henry County roads.
Photo: Hospital CEO John Tucker presents an update to commission members, County Mayor John Penn Ridgeway and Clerk Donna Craig. Shannon McFarlin photo.