Clinic operation to begin November 15, 

ER service to resume in early January

CELINA-After its doors were shuttered last spring, multiple area news outlets reported last week Cumberland River Hospital (CRH) will take the first step towards reopening here in just 10 days—signaling an end to a nearly eight-month local healthcare hiatus.
The news is the first released since August, when it was announced Johnny Presley and Rural Hospital & Clinics of America, LLC purchased the iconic healthcare facility for $200,000 from Cookeville Regional Medical Center (CRMC)—which owned and operated CRH as a subsidiary since 2012 before shuttering its doors on March 1.
Rafferty Cleary of Newstalk941.com was the first to report CRH plans to resume operations with the opening of a clinic featuring 13 exam rooms next week.
Cleary cited comments from new hospital administrator Don Downey in his article published on October 29 following a gathering of county, city, and state officials to celebrate the new operation’s grand opening the same day.
“November the 15, we will open our hospital clinic. We will ramp up and let the physicians and community bond towards the end of November and December,” Cleary quoted Downey saying. “So everything is ready to go, but the emergency room and all services will be available January 1.”
Cleary explained Downey contributed the delay in opening emergency room services to a cash flow issue.
“We have to apply for a CMS provider number before commercial insurances will sign on with us,” Downey said in the online story. “All you have to do is submit, which we will do this week, to get a confirmation from CMS. But it takes three to five months to get the number.
“It’s a terrible risk for you to go ahead and hire people and spend money to open the hospital.”
Cookeville’s Herald Citizen newspaper also reported the news a day later and Ben Wheeler quoted Presley in his article.
“The clinic will be opening November 15 with the hospital having a tentative open on January 1, 2020, assuming everything goes fine,” Presley said. “Maybe a little quicker, but it all depends on Medicare.”
The story, which can be found on the web at herald-citizen.com, explained the clinic will be taking new patients, offering lab work, and could potentially be providing outpatient comprehensive labs for nursing homes.
Wheeler also explained Presley previously said he plans to open the hospital again in phases, with the first being the clinic in the hospital., the next phase being reopening the emergency room, and the third being providing acute care and a geropsych unit.
For both complete stories, visit newstalk941.com and herald-citizen.com.