Clay County officials attended the Tennessee Rural Health Transformation Forum in Nashville for help on how to improve healthcare in the county.
Clay County EMS Director Andy Hall said the event opened his eyes to how grant opportunities could lead to a change in Clay County’s healthcare landscape. Hall said his first goal is to extend the hours and services at the clinic Livingston Regional already operates in the county.
“It showed us what was out there and available grant-wise to help Livingston or whoever to bring extra health care down here like I said in the form of a urgent care center or hopefully, eventually, a standalone ER,” Hall said.
Clay County Mayor Dale Reagan said the county has been searching for ways to increase healthcare access for citizens since the local hospital closed in 2018. Reagan said the county is currently in the beginning stages of discussions with Livingston Regional to potentially expand their existing clinical presence in the area.
Hall said they are working with regional healthcare partners and state agencies to establish a standalone emergency room to restore local medical services.
“We’ve been very blessed with our EMS crew that have stepped up to the plate and they’ve done an outstanding job as far as providing emergency ambulance service to our citizen out here and everything but I mean you know we always need need to try our very best and keep looking for improvements on ways and means of trying to get better health care for our citizens,” Reagan said.
Hall said the EMS department currently serves as the primary medical resource for the county, acting as a mobile emergency room. Hall said having a local facility would reduce the reliance on the two ambulances that serve the entire county.
“There’ll still be a need for us no doubt but they’ll also be able to drive themselves to the urgent care or standalone ER and get seen and not have to wait on an ambulance you know because I’ve got two ambulances that serve the whole county and you know when calls multiple calls come in it it extends our their wait time for us,” Hall said.
Reagan said Representative Keisling facilitated a meeting in Nashville with the State Department of Health to explore available grants. Reagan said a five-year health transformation grant could provide the necessary funding for Livingston Regional to increase its capabilities.
Reagan said Representative Kelly Keisling facilitated a meeting in Nashville with the State Department of Health to explore available grants. Reagan said a five-year health transformation grant could provide the necessary funding for Livingston Regional to increase its capabilities.
“So hopefully this will all work out to where it’ll be a win-win for all of us and especially the winner in the end of this will be our citizen here in Clay County for hopefully for better health care,” Reagan said.
Reagan said the county is also renovating its library to include two dedicated rooms for telehealth services. Reagan said the EMS staff, including Assistant Director Kyle Haney have worked to secure CDBG grants to ensure the county’s ambulances and equipment remain top-of-the-line while the search for a permanent facility continues.
