McNairy Regional Hospital in Selmer, Tenn., part of Knoxville, Tenn.-based Tennova Healthcare, will close May 18, according to The Jackson Sun.
Facility experts recently discovered significant plumbing problems at McNairy Regional, and the hospital was going to have to close for at least six months for the repairs to be made. However, after considering the hospital's deteriorating patient volume and the cost of the repairs, Tennova decided to close the hospital permanently.
"Our quality of care and patient satisfaction have been strong, but far fewer patients are using services here, whether inpatient, outpatient or ER," said Pamela Roberts, CEO of McNairy Regional, according to the report. "With the extensive repairs needed, disruption to operations and small number of patients using services, McNairy Regional Hospital is not sustainable."
There were about 550 patient admissions at the hospital last year, down significantly from more than 1,700 admissions in 2010. ER visits have also declined, averaging 24 a day in the past few months.
In addition to lower patient volume, the hospital also cited Tennessee's lack of Medicaid expansion as reason for its closure.
According to the Daily Corinthian, 129 employees will be affected by the closure.
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Editor's note: This story was updated March 18.