Jamestown (Tenn.) Regional Medical Center is struggling financially and physicians are concerned about how the hospital's financial troubles are affecting patient care, according to local TV station 10News.
CMS inspection reports released this week revealed the 85-bed hospital lacks necessary supplies and owes more than $4 million to vendors. The hospital, which recently halted patient admissions, will no longer receive Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements as of June 12 because its does not meet conditions of participation.
One local physician, who admitted patients to Jamestown Regional Medical Center for nearly three decades, is now sending patients to a hospital 45 minutes away.
"There are so many things going on that are disturbing. I had probably over half the departmental heads at the hospital tell me that supplies are critically low," Jonathan Allred, MD, told 10News. "I don't think it is safe."
The hospital, owned by West Palm Beach, Fla.-based Rennova Health, was reportedly preparing to close May 16 but ultimately remained opened on a day-to-day basis. At that time, Rennova said there were no plans to close the hospital.
Dr. Allred told 10News that it's vital for Jamestown to have a hospital, but improvements need to be made.
"If we don't have a hospital here, people are going to die. There's only so much you can do in the back of an ambulance," he said. "We need the hospital, but we need it to function admirably and correctly."
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