While the hospital is closed, residents of the area have been forced to travel 40 minutes to the nearest hospital and wait for ambulances from outside Patrick County. The need for more accessible healthcare grew during the pandemic.
Chicago-based Foresight Health bought the hospital in April for $2.1 million in cash. Sameer Suhail, MD, CEO of Foresight Health, plans to expand the hospital and hire up to 300 medical professionals.
Dr. Suhail is currently under several legal probes in Chicago related to contracts with a local hospital, according to an investigation from Block Club Chicago. He denies all allegations.
Patrick County Board Chair Clyde DeLoach told Radio IQ he’s “guardedly optimistic,” but that contractors have gone into the site and the county is not responsible for any funding.
“They bought the building, and they’re working, so everything has been in good faith so far. And we’ll just have to see,” Mr. DeLoach said. “As long as I protect the public money, then I can take a cautious view of it.”
The Patrick County hospital closed in 2017 after filing for bankruptcy in 2016.
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