ONEIDA, Tenn. — Scott County’s new hospital will open this spring as Big South Fork Medical Center, it was announced Monday.
Rennova Health Inc., the Florida-based company that purchased the hospital facility from Pioneer Health Services, said in a news release Monday morning that the new name is the result of the “Name Your Hospital” community involvement campaign that the company conducted on Facebook.
“We want to thank everyone who participated on Facebook to offer many great ideas,” the hospital said in a release. “We narrowed down the ideas to the five most popular suggestions and sent three qualified recommendations to the local Chamber of Commerce for final selection. This was truly a community effort.”
Tony Taylor, administrator of the hospital, said that allowing the community to choose the hospital’s name shows Rennova’s commitment to Scott County.
“I have been a part of this community for over three years now and it is encouraging that the new owner for this hospital wanted the community to take the lead in naming it,” Taylor said. “This name represents our market very positively. We are very appreciative to the community for participating and naming the facility, as this is more than just a building that sits on a hill. We are part of the community, we are here for you.”
The hospital said there will be several announcements made as the core management team works towards reopening the hospital. While the exact opening date is uncertain, the hospital expects to begin receiving job applications March 1 and will soon announce a web portal for the online application process.
“The opening of Big South Fork Medical Center is a day our business community has anxiously awaited for the past eight months,” said Ben Garrett, president of the Scott County Chamber of Commerce. “The benefits of the hospital’s reopening will extend well beyond the obvious, which is our residents having access to quality health care close to home. Community hospitals are vital to the economic health of rural communities like ours. The new hospital will play a vital role in Scott County’s efforts to recruit new industry and sustain our existing small business community. Thank you to Rennova Health and Mr. Tony Taylor for their faith in Scott County, their investment into our community, and their diligent efforts to quickly work through the process of breathing new life into our hospital.”
Last modified: February 9, 2017
