Blue Ridge Medical Center asks Fannin County residents to redirect Georgia income tax to local hospital

Julie Shire, director of cardiac rehabilitation at Blue Ridge Medical Center, told the Fannin County Board of Commissioners on Oct. 14 that the hospital has converted to not-for-profit ownership and is eligible to receive redirected Georgia income-tax dollars through the Georgia HEART program.

Shire said the hospital's new nonprofit owner, the Java Foundation (rebranded locally as Blue Ridge Medical Center), has helped stabilize the facility after financial distress in 2023 and that the hospital is now accepting applications to receive funds through Georgia HEART. "It's money you're already paying," Shire said. "You can redirect those dollars to Blue Ridge Medical Center so we can continue to provide the care that we need to provide in this community." She added that residents and businesses can apply at georgiaheart.org and receive certificates showing the redirected credit.

Why this matters: Shire said rural hospitals face closures and that Georgia created the HEART program to help keep local hospitals open. She told commissioners the program allows hospitals to procure up to $4 million in redirected tax dollars over participating years and that Blue Ridge Medical Center already had $1.5 million in pledges.

Details provided: Shire said limits on individual and business redirection were lifted after July 1 for certain taxpayers; corporations may still be limited to redirecting up to 75% of Georgia income-tax liability. She said the tax-credit designation is applied to the hospital annually and hospitals must be approved each year. Shire also noted that Blue Ridge reopened inpatient services in September 2024 and has been designated a critical access hospital by CMS.

Questions and next steps: Shire offered to meet individually with residents and tax advisers to help them apply, supplying a hospital contact number, (706) 632-4253. Commissioners listened but did not take a formal vote related to the program or county funding.

Shire: "We are asking the community to rally behind the hospital and redirect those tax dollars," she said.