State health commissioner speaks to Jackson Rotary Club

JACKSON, Tenn. — Dr. Lisa Piercey, commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Health, spoke to the Jackson Rotary Club on Wednesday about what goes into your health.

Some of those factors include your lifestyle, where you live and access to health care.

“Tennessee has had the second-highest number of rural hospital closures per capita of anywhere in the nation, only second to Texas, which is a very large state,” Dr. Piercey said. “Up until just a few months ago, West Tennessee had the most rural hospital closures of anywhere in the state.”

Just last year, McKenzie Regional Hospital closed their doors.

“If someone has to drive an extra 35 or 40 minutes to get to a hospital or emergency room, that literally could be the difference between life or death,” Piercey said.

Dr. Piercey said there are several reasons for these closures, but the main reason is that people don’t use their rural hospital.

“The best way to save a rural hospital is to use it before it gets closed. Once it’s closed, it’s not impossible for it to reopen, but the barriers are really high to do that,” Piercey said.

She says those barriers are mostly financial, but having trained staff and a patient base, along with affordability, are also concerns.

Piercey also said that people often go to bigger cities for health care.

“Oftentimes we perceive that bigger is better, and we know that’s not true. Hometown hospitals can provide more personalized care and quicker care,” Piercey said.

Dr. Piercey says there’s a statewide initiative to train people from rural areas and encourage them to practice in those areas to fulfill the statewide need.