WAYNESBORO, Tenn. – On November 15, representatives from Maury Regional Health presented facility planning options for Wayne Medical Center (WMC) to the Wayne County Commission.
WMC, formerly Wayne County Hospital, was constructed in 1963, with an emergency department addition completed in 2001. According to WMC CEO Tyler Taylor, the 49,000-square-foot facility is challenged by age and inefficiencies, which led the county and WMC to conduct a comprehensive master facilities plan and financial assessment.
The study evaluated the existing facilities on campus, analyzed the current operations of each department, generated a market assessment of both inpatient and outpatient services, evaluated reimbursement models and solicited feedback from community stakeholders.
The planning group considered options for the existing campus, including renovations or a replacement hospital, and compared them to a potential new site. Cost, necessary service line improvements, impact on existing operations and reimbursement models were considered.
The final recommendation of WMC was to construct a new 52,000-58,000-square-foot Critical Access Hospital (CAH) at a cost of $48-$54 million. The proposed location is on Highway 13 South in the Wayne County Industrial Park, with construction estimated to take three years. CAH is a designation given to eligible rural hospitals by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to reduce the financial vulnerability of rural hospitals and improve access to care by keeping essential services in rural communities. A CAH must be located more than 35 miles from an existing hospital.
“After evaluating all of the available options, our recommendation to the leadership of Wayne County is to invest in the construction of a new hospital,” said Taylor. “A modern facility with Critical Access Hospital designation is a fiscally sound way to offer the community the health care services they need long-term.”
Additional discussion is expected to take place at the next Wayne County Commission meeting on Monday, Nov. 21, at 7 p.m. at the Wayne County Administrative Building in Waynesboro.
“It has been a pleasure working closely with the commission as we chart a course for the future of health care in Wayne County,” said Taylor. “We understand that this is an important decision and anticipate that it will take several meetings for the commission to fully evaluate their options and make a final decision.”
About Wayne Medical Center:
Wayne Medical Center, an affiliate of Maury Regional Health, is a not-for-profit community hospital offering comprehensive services that include a 24-hour emergency department, inpatient care, surgical services, physical, occupational and speech therapy, sleep center, diagnostic imaging and a physician specialist clinic.