Mayors react to Humboldt ER closure, Milan General expansion

GIBSON COUNTY, Tenn. — Next month, the emergency room, outpatient lab and radiology services at Humboldt Medical Center will all be closing. The decision was made by West Tennessee Healthcare’s board of trustees Tuesday evening.

“They’ve been wonderful in our community, and they still will be in the future, but it really does hurt to see our emergency room close,” Humboldt Mayor Marvin Sikes said.

Mayor Sikes says the closures are likely because the emergency services at the medical center were not being used to their full potential.

“I don’t think they have the patients coming in as they were expecting,” Sikes said.

The closures will affect many residents in the area, such as Robert Dennis, whose family often relies on the medical center’s emergency services.

“My father has had many incidents where we’ve had to call in the ambulance to have him transported to the ER here in Humboldt,” Dennis said.

According to West Tennessee Healthcare, residents in Humboldt will be able to go to Milan General Hospital or North Hospital, formerly Regional Hospital, for emergency services.

“Expediency is a great thing in health care, and if you have an emergency and you need to get to a hospital quickly, it’s very important,” Milan Mayor B.W. Beasley said.

Milan General will be getting over $5 million in renovations in the next two years.

“Milan is going to serve that purpose for a variety of counties in the area,” Beasley said.

The emergency services at Humboldt Medical Center will officially close on October 25.