Hospital Closing Worries Residents, Emergency Workers
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TRENTON, Tenn.- Gibson County emergency workers in Trenton said it will soon take longer to get patients to the hospital. That is because Gibson General Hospital is closing, Friday, leaving the nearest emergency room miles down the road. “The difference between 15 and 30 minutes in an emergency could cost somebody there life,” Chief Bryan Cathey with the Gibson County Fire Department said. “If we’re doing CPR from Dyer or Rutherford, we could stop at the ER in Trenton and get professional care, where now we’re going to have to go all the way to Humboldt.” The hospital will be replaced with a smaller medical center, and Humboldt’s hospital will become an upgraded emergency center. Many residents and EMS workers from northern Gibson County fear that with this facility closing, what would have been a routine 911 call from their area might become deadly. “It’s a little scary as a parent, that your child is going to lose valuable time being treated by a professional healthcare provider,” concerned resident Misty Snow said. Despite worries from residents, hospital officials said the changes are based on extensive research and are designed to better treat the needs of the community. “We’re going to continue to provide the very best possible service we can to the people and we’re going to do whatever we can do to make this an easy transition,” Chief Cathey said. Milan’s hospital is also part of the transformation. It will maintain inpatient services and add a hospice program.
