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Contributed commentary by Montgomery County Democratic Party Chair Allie Phillips on proposed hospitals in Clarksville:

As the State of Tennessee considers tomorrow whether to allow two new hospitals to move forward in Clarksville, it’s clear we need more healthcare options. Data compiled by Clarksville Now recently confirmed what I felt to be true: We would rather drive past our hospital to Nashville to seek care. Nearly half of Clarksvillians are already doing that, and as a mother I completely agree.

As long as I have lived here I have heard the concerns about our hospital. The Medicare.gov rating for Tennova is currently 1 out of 5 (their lowest rating) with less than half of patients reporting receiving adequate care for sepsis.

I recently had a baby back in April and chose to give birth at St. Thomas in Nashville. I risked potentially being in active labor on Interstate 24 to reach a hospital that I knew would offer me better care. We shouldn’t have to drive over an hour to a hospital when there’s one 20 minutes away. But I know the reputation of Tennova, and I wasn’t going to risk being there while having a medical emergency.

Clarksville is one of the fastest growing cities in the region. We cannot sustain this growth and be a great place to live without great health care options. With the support of leaders from both political parties in this county, Clarksville City Council, Montgomery County Commission, and with thousands of Clarksvillians seeking health care out of county: Let’s bring our healthcare home tomorrow by approving these hospitals.

Allie Phillips

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