Hospital committee begins public meetings

By Staff
Thomas Tingle
Record Managing Editor
The first of several public meetings of the newly formed Hospital Advisory Committee was held to begin the process in deciding how Madison should be involved in three proposed hospitals ventures for the city.
Crestwood Medical Center, Huntsville Hospital and a group called Doctors' Hospital of Madison have announced plans to build a 120-bed, full-service hospital in Madison.
The advisory committee, formed by Mayor Jan Wells, will decide if city action should be taken. The committee will gather information from the community and from interests that are proposing to build a hospital here.
The mayor said she plans to have a forum that will allow residents to ask questions with the committee designated as the gathering entity of information from all interested parties.
"All of our meetings will be held in the council chambers here at the Madison Municipal Complex and are open to the public," Wells said.
Members of the committee are Al Sullivan, Bobby DeNeese, Dr. Ed Turpin, Dr. Robert Carrell, Pat Glenn, Hodges Washington, Chris Sargent, Joe Moquin, chairman, City Councilman Bob Wagner, City Attorney Anne-Marie Lacy, Revenue Department Director Cameron Grounds, Police Chief Dan Busken, Community Development Department Director Bob Atallo, and Michele Miller, aide to the mayor's office.
Mayor Wells said the first meeting was set up to educate the committee and the public on the process of deciding the issues related to gaining a hospital in Madison and identifying the framework of the proceedings.
"Later meetings will be held to ask and answer questions from the public and from various entities invited to address the committee," Wells said. "The number of meetings will be determined by the committee and will be need-driven. I would expect there to be four to six meetings, fairly closely spaced within the next three to four months."
Huntsville Hospital plans to build a 120-bed hospital at its U.S. Highway 72 and Balch Road site where a medical office building is located and where a wellness center is now under construction.
Crestwood Hospital plans to bring a 120-bed full-service hospital to Madison. Crestwood is also waiting for the State Health Plan to be amended that would allow additional 120 beds in Madison County.
Doctors' Hospital of Madison also announced its want to build a 120-bed full-service hospital in the city.
To date, Huntsville Hospital, Crestwood Medical Center and Doctors Hospital have filed letters in intent to the state to build a hospital.