ALCOA, Tenn. — A spokesperson for the Alcoa Board of Commissioners said they postponed appointing a new member to a Blount Memorial Hospital committee until a called meeting on March 24.
Disagreements between the board of directors and Blount County leaders have led to months of controversy. As part of that controversy, the Blount County Commission voted to restructure the BMH Nominating Committee in December.
Members of the committee need to be approved by different public commissions, including the Alcoa City Commission.
In June 2022, Blount County leaders wrote a letter to the hospital's board of directors explaining their concerns over how the board was choosing its CEO. Mayor Ed Mitchell was one of the leaders who signed the letter. It said that the mayors felt the process to find a new CEO did not strictly follow state law and hospital policies.
Then in November 2022, Mitchell sent another letter to the hospital saying he had "grave concerns" about how BMH is operated. In it, he said that BMH was appointed to operate the hospital on behalf of the county, but it never became the owner of any hospital assets.
Later in December 2022, BMH filed a lawsuit that asked for a ruling to allow BMH to proceed with plans to sell a facility in the Springbrook area for around $22.2 million. It was opened in 1996 and provided outpatient care, as well as other healthcare services, according to a press release from the hospital.
Blount County Mayor Ed Mitchell had previously alleged that the facility was purchased with county revenues, making it county property. The hospital said that it was built without county funds, and said it was not licensed as a hospital, and so argued they were allowed to sell it.
He later suggested that the University of Tennessee Medical Center take over the hospital, asking commissioners to negotiate a management agreement between it and BMH.
In this agreement, UTMC would manage and operate Blount Memorial to "better serve" Blount County citizens, while keeping county ownership and local board oversight on the hospital, the release said.
In late February, BMH sent a cease and desist letter to UT Medical Center asking them to cut off any negotiations and discussions with Blount County leadership.
The Blount County Commission is expected to meet on March 21 to choose someone for the BMH Nominating Committee and to discuss the future of the hospital.
