Tennessee State House District 38 has two hospitals that are currently closed: Jamestown Regional in Fentress County and Cumberland River in Celina. Scott County's Big South Fork is also in danger of closing. Across the entire state of Tennessee, 14 hospitals have closed since 2012. 

Governor Bill Lee and the TN General Assembly should not waste another day. I am calling on him, Rep. Kelly Keisling, and all other Tennessee elected officials to expand Medicaid now. Call the TN General Assembly back in session, and do not let them leave until they pass legislation to expand Medicaid and cover the Tennesseans who qualify for health care. 

Also, the TN General Assembly should use the budget surplus funds, that are currently hundreds of millions of dollars, to help these hospitals immediately. The state of Tennessee can offer incentives to companies who buy, or they can help the counties purchase the facilities outright, whichever is faster.

I am calling for Tennessee's Governor Lee and the TN State Legislature to stand up for rural Tennesseans and help these hospitals. People across this state are dying, and it is past time we do something to help Tennesseans with this health care crisis.