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Haywood Regional open to supporting municipal clinic; hospital not interested in owning it, council told
Summary
Town staff and council members said Haywood Regional Medical Center indicated willingness to staff and support a proposed municipal clinic but declined ownership. Town and municipal staff will now gauge interest from other local governments in the region.
Town of Waynesville staff updated the council Jan. 28 on a meeting with Haywood Regional Medical Center about a proposed municipal medical clinic. John Scott reported that Chris Brown, CEO of Haywood Regional, told the town the hospital would not want to own the clinic but would consider supporting it in other ways, including staffing and operational assistance.
Scott said the hospital’s willingness to participate ‘‘short of owning the clinic’’ was stronger than the staff expected and that Brown offered ideas for how the clinic might operate. The next step, Scott said, is to contact the county manager and other municipal managers in the area to assess broader regional interest; Rob (town staff) was assigned to open those conversations.
Council members and staff noted the difficulty of access to primary care in the county and described the hospital’s engagement as “very positive.” No formal agreement or funding commitment was made at the meeting; staff said locating a suitable facility for a clinic will be a major next step.
The council did not vote on any formal action; staff will continue outreach to other municipalities and report back.
