Parsons, Tenn.-based Decatur County General Hospital is slated to close April 15. It will be the 14th rural hospital in the state to close in the past decade, according to the Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research.
The Decatur County General Hospital Board voted March 31 to close the hospital effective April 15, according to FOX 17. The vote came about a week after the board approved a management deal with Braden Health, and the company's manager, Beau Braden, was named interim CEO.
Mr. Braden said he is aiming to reopen the hospital, but a timeline was not provided, according to FOX 17, which cited a letter from Mr. Braden to Decatur County residents. He encouraged local residents to seek healthcare at other facilities, such as Henderson County Community Hospital in Lexington, Tenn., which is about 17 miles from Decatur County General Hospital, according to the report.
When Decatur County General Hospital closes, 21 counties in Tennessee will have no hospital, according to FOX 17.