Photo: County Commission Candidate David Flowers, standing, addresses the commission. Shannon McFarlin photo.
By Shannon McFarlin News Director
Paris, Tenn.–It’s official. By a 9-5 vote—and after months of negotiations and often heated discussion–the Henry County Commission Monday voted to approve the lease agreement with West Tennessee Healthcare that will allow West Tennessee to assume operation of Henry County Medical Center.
At the end of the lengthy session –and as members of the public asked the commission to table voting on the agreement –HCMC Board President Bruce Reed issued a plea for the county to approve the agreement. “West Tennessee has done everything the county has asked. West Tennessee is going to be a good partner. West Tennessee is doing what it can do. The bottom line is, time is running out. Before COVID, this hospital was broke. Since then, we’ve found ways to keep it open. We have a great hospital and it’s only going to get better” with the agreement with West Tennessee.
Under the agreement, the hospital will be branded as West Tennessee Healthcare Henry County. West Tennessee commits to providing healthcare services in Henry County for 40 years, and maintain and provide beds, imaging services, emergency services for at least 10 years (an increase over the original 7 years).
Also under the agreement, West Tennessee makes a commitment to HCMC employees to offer positions to ‘all qualified individuals currently employed’, with ‘no immediate compensation changes’ and ‘reasonable efforts’ to avoid workforce reductions.
Attorney Angela Humphreys, who represents the county and HCMC in its negotiations with West Tennessee, said the following is the schedule for the definite agreement between the parties: signing, July 31, 2024; closing, October 1, 2024; subject to extension by mutual agreement of the parties; subject to approval by the Tennessee Attorney General and other customary closing conditions.
At the meeting’s outset, a public forum was held, in which County Mayor Candidate Randy Geiger noted that with a new mayor and two new county commissioners being elected August 1, he would ask “for the sake of the commissioners” to give them more time to “read and understand the document and allow the new mayor to be involved” in the decision.
County Commission Candidate David Flowers said, “I’ve held my tongue, but it bothers me they are going to assume our cash. No matter how much it left, it belongs to HCMC, not West Tennessee. West Tennessee is a fine organiation, but for them to assume to take our cash is insulting to the citizens of Henry County.”
Paul McDade again criticized the commission for taking ‘pennies on the dollar’ in the agreement.
Jonathan Lodge argued that the county was not being given enough time to pore through the packets of info in the agreement.
Sonja Clark noted, “This is my home. HCMC saved my life (when she was younger). We’re angry and we’re tired. We’ve been through a lot—COVID, bad administrations, we’ve (employees) been spit on, cussed out” and something needs to be done to keep the hospital open.
During the commissioners’ forum, Tater Hayes said, “If you think we don’t care about the people or the hospital, you’re bad wrong.”
Commissioner Jay Travis said, “I have no appetite for waiting any longer” and he noted that neither of the two County Mayor candidates “have experience in running a hospital.”
Travis said, “I appreciate every single commissioner. I can talk to all of you. But we’ve been down this road for a year…This isn’t the best deal, it’s the only deal. We don’t need to table it.”
Commissioner Dell Carter agreed, saying, “We can’t keep tabling this. We gotta keep these peope working. Leave the past alone. Let’s keep moving forward.”
Voting no on the agreement were Commissioners Patrick Burns, Missy Hamilton, Tater Hayes, Marty Visser and Ralph Wiles.