Here are four things to know about the bill.
1. The bill, proposed by state Rep. Harold M. Love Jr., D-Dist. 28, recommends “any county with a metropolitan form of government and a population in excess of six hundred thousand … shall establish and maintain a public, safety net hospital that offers inpatient and outpatient services.”
2. Even if the bill does not pass, Mr. Love claimed it would broaden public discussion about the hospital’s status to a state level, with state officials providing their input on the situation.
“We’re often able then to get more information from every department about the financial impact of that bill,” he said. “So I think this will also be helpful as we have conversations from the state about the impact that Metro General has about the healthcare of the entire state and the city of Nashville specifically.”
3. Mr. Love is also a member of the 11-member panel created by Nashville-based Meharry Medical College to decide the hospital’s fate.
4. Nashville Mayor Megan Barry initially proposed transitioning Nashville General to an outpatient service facility last November. However, she said in January the transition would not take place until the end of 2018.
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