Our View

Our View

New hospital groundbreaking an important step forward

Wednesday, Sept. 7 marks a very special day for Crittenden Countians, a day our Judge Woody Wheeless has been waiting for since voters overwhelmingly supported his efforts to convince Baptist Hospital to build a brand new $25 million hospital here.

Judge Wheeless is expected to be joined by several top Baptist Hospital officials along with Crittenden County Quorum Court members as well as others who were involved this lengthy and sometimes complex process.

As most of us know, Crittenden County has been without a primary care hospital since the demise of Crittenden Regional Hospital in 2014. It was in August of that year that scores of employees, nurses, physicians and staff were told the hospital was closing its doors and the decision was made to file for bankruptcy. It was then that scores of dedicated hospital employees were sent to the unemployment lines with little or no notice.

Crittenden Countians were not only left without local emergency care but burdened with an abandoned hospital facility and an enormous debt.

For two years Judge Wheeless worked tirelessly on re-establishing a hospital in Crittenden County. While an initial commitment from another hospital provider in the early stages of trying to bring a primary care facility here failed it did not deter Wheeless from seeking another partnership, this time with Baptist Hospital.

If that wasn’t enough, Wheeless then had to appeal to Crittenden County voters to endorse a one cent sales tax for five years to pay for the physical 50,000square-foot facility with 20 beds north of Interstate 55 between 7th Street and Highway 77 North.

Bear in mind, Wheeless accomplished all this initial process with little to no support from any other governmental entity. While Wheeless’ efforts paid off, there remained the question as to what to do with the old hospital facility in West Memphis. Still not to be deterred, Wheeless managed to work a deal with the Arkansas Corrections official to use the old hospital to house a women’s rehabilitation facility.

Again, with little support, and some local resistance, Wheeless managed to pull the deal off and today the old hospital is now a full functioning rehabilitation center for low-risk female detainees.

Not only has the financial burden been lifted off the shoulders of county residents but soon construction will actually begin on a brand new and much needed hospital.

No longer will there be a need to depend on Memphis hospitals to provide emergency care or even certain illnesses or injuries requiring hospital level treatment.

This groundbreaking ceremony, set to begin at 10 a.m., is an event we certainly encourage every concerned Crittenden County to attend and to show support for our county leaders who remained committed to seeing this hospital become reality regardless of the obstacles, setbacks and disappointments.