(NASHVILLE) — Recently, members of the Tennessee General Assembly approved a measure sponsored by State Representative Kelly Keisling (R-Byrdstown) supporting Tennessee’s rural hospitals.
House Bill 2326 — also known as the Tennessee Rural Hospital Transformation Act of 2018 — creates a program within the Tennessee Department of Economic & Community Development (TNECD) to provide support to our rural, private and public hospitals by developing strategies that help them operate more efficiently.
The measure permits these types of facilities to apply for grants through TNECD that will fund evaluations of current practices being conducted in an effort to ensure the future success of our rural Tennessee hospitals.
While business model evaluations are fairly common at our metropolitan and regional hospitals because of an abundance of resources at these much larger facilities, House Bill 2326 provides a pathway for their rural counterparts to take similar action in order to guarantee they are able to continue operating and better serve future generations of rural Tennesseans.
“Our rural hospitals often do not have the resources available or know who to turn to for advice on how to streamline operations in order for them to become more effective,” said Representative Keisling. “I am grateful to TNECD and all parties involved for their partnership on a measure that will support the long-term sustainability of these facilities. House Bill 2326 will also enable them to better serve our rural communities.”
House Bill 2326 now awaits Governor Haslam’s signature. For more information, please click here.
Kelly Keisling serves as Chairman of the House Insurance and Banking Subcommittee. He also serves as a member of the House Transportation Committee and the House Insurance and Banking Committee. Keisling lives in Byrdstown and represents House District 38, which includes Macon, Clay, Pickett, Scott, and part of Fentress Counties. He can be reached by email at [email protected] or by calling (615) 741-6852.