JAMESTOWN, Tenn. — The University of Tennesee Medical Center celebrated opening a new emergency room in Jamestown on Tuesday. The area has not had a hospital since 2019 when the Jamestown Regional Medical Center closed.
After it closed, people in the area were left stranded — around 45 minutes from medical care. Leaders in the area gathered for a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Tuesday, with some finishing touches left on the list before patients can once again receive medical care in their own community.
Their plan is to have the center up and running by mid-July, which is when they expect to start accepting patients.
"We have, like, next-to-no medical except for a couple of doctors," said Mary Partridge, who lives in Jamestown.
A few years ago, she woke up in a lot of pain and had to be rushed to the nearest medical facility — around 50 minutes away.
"My appendix had burst and upended in the right colon, and gangrene had set in," she said. "You would have to Cookeville, Tennessee or to Cumberland County."
The new medical facility will focus on providing emergency services for patients. They can include CT scans, XRays and ultrasounds, as well as primary care services.
"We’re celebrating the ribbon cutting of the UT Medical Center’s free-standing emergency department in Fentress County," said Dr. James. Shamiyeh, the executive vice president of the hospital.
A state leader from the district, Rep. Kelly Keisling (R - Byrdstown), said that he believed the hospital could evolve into something that helps rural communities.
"I think we have around 30-ish communities, counties that are without a hospital or medical services. So, we're blessed. Ladies and gentlemen, we are blessed," he said.