LINDEN, Tenn. (WTVF) — Many of us take for granted being able to call 911 and, within minutes, being transported and treated at a local hospital.
But that hasn't been the case in rural Perry County, about 90 miles southwest of Nashville, since 2020—that's when the community lost its only hospital.
"When you’re in an emergency, you know, it’s scary to be that far away from a hospital," said Elizabeth Hinson, the mother of two young children in Perry County.
Hinson said that, while they were in a healthcare desert, it forced long ambulance rides for even basic medical care. "I mean, Lexington is 45 minutes from here. If you’re going to Waverly, you’re an hour away," she said.
The drive is even longer for more specialized treatments in Nashville. "It’s an hour and 45-minute haul on a good day when there’s not traffic," said Hinson.
"And when is there not traffic?" NewsChannel 5 asked with a chuckle.
"Never," she said with certainty.
Thankfully, the story didn't end there.
"You may begin transporting patients"
Monday, crews were still putting the finishing touches on the new iteration of the Perry County Community Hospital, as they counted down the minutes to a long-awaited broadcast over the radio to emergency responders.
"Perry County Hospital is now open and fully operational. You may begin transporting patients to Perry County Hospital immediately," said State Sen. Ed Jackson, who was given the honors.
Kyle Kopec is the co-founder of Braden Health, the new owner, and gave us the tour.
"We have a full emergency department here," said Kopec. "They’re directly across from that nurses' station, so we can have complete line of sight and visuals of what’s going on."
In addition to emergency care, Perry County Community Hospital has 25 inpatient beds. Staff can also fill prescriptions in their in-house pharmacy; they have the capability of doing their own X-rays and CAT scans on site as well.
"Finding tumors, finding blockages, that sort of thing, being able to do that locally, saves a lot of lives," said Kopec.
The hospital is even equipped to do its own lab work, which can speed up diagnosis time dramatically. "You will get results within a couple of hours on this or less," said Christie Swinford, the Lead Lab Tech for Braden Health.
A journey to get here
Re-opening the hospital was no simple task, especially after a mishap involving a local nearby water tower. "
That water tower had a malfunction, and the backflow preventers at that hospital had a malfunction," said Kopec. "There was some extensive work to mitigate mold, damage from the water, damage from the 5 years of neglect and sitting vacant."
Braden Health also lobbied on Tennessee's Capitol Hill to change state law to reduce some of the regulatory burdens on rural healthcare, like allowing them to have a regional lead lab tech instead of a lead lab tech on site in Perry County.
Changes to state regulations also allowed Braden to open only about 80 percent of the original facility, so they could fast-track opening up the most crucial parts of the hospital first.
To that end, Perry County has the possibility of opening up a surgical unit and additional hospital rooms in currently unused portions of the facility. "That allows us to take care of people sooner, lower the death rate sooner," said Kopec.
At this point, you may be wondering, how will Braden Health be able to succeed where other previous owners have failed?
Kopec says, of all things, they're really good at the paperwork. "Rural healthcare is extremely technically challenging," he said. "If you don’t do things just perfectly, your operation will fail."
New possibilities
The reopening of Perry County Community Hospital won't just be a game-changer for local healthcare; it could also bring new economic development opportunities.
State Sen. Jackson (R-District 25) said they've had opportunities to bring new industry to Perry County, but they weren't ultimately chosen because they lacked a hospital.
"They don’t want to come if you don’t have healthcare," said State Sen. Jackson, whose district includes the economically distressed Perry County. "Now this is going to be a game changer for Perry County."
Hinson told us that she's also excited for local healthcare workers who can get a job closer to home.
On a personal level, she's also relieved to have a faster option, as they enjoy their slower-paced but beautiful life they've built in Perry County.
"I’m just excited to have it here," she said. "As a young mother of two, it’s given me a sense of security back."
Braden's vision for rural healthcare
If Braden Health sounds familiar, it's because the company has invested quite a bit in reviving rural healthcare options in Tennessee.
Back in 2022, Braden Health invited NewsChannel 5 to tour the shuttered Houston County hospital before they began their renovation work. It's now been reopened and has been operating for several years.
Braden has either resurrected or kept open rural hospitals in Henderson and Haywood Counties in Tennessee. Eventually, they plan to reopen the hospital in Decatur County as well.
Kopec also indicated they will continue to lobby lawmakers to ease the burdens on healthcare providers in rural communities.
"We don't want to be the only ones out here, but we're certainly glad that we can be," Kopec told us.
Do you live in a community far from a viable medical center? We want to hear your story. Email me at Chris.Davis@NewsChannel5.com.
One of the best things about Tennessee is its beauty. Reporter, Chris Davis, certainly makes the most of it as an avid hunter and fisherman. When he turned the spotlight on the potential funding shortfall the TWRA is facing - it hit a nerve with many of our viewers. To find out more, make sure to watch this story.
- Carrie Sharp
