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Memphis Council asks Shelby County leaders to convene stakeholders on Regional One hospital; motion amended to involve county commission
Summary
After extended debate about the proposed $1.9 billion Regional One rebuild, the Memphis City Council passed a resolution asking Shelby County leadership to convene hospital stakeholders for a meeting to review options. The item passed, was reconsidered and amended to explicitly include the county commission, and passed again as amended.
The Memphis City Council on Oct. 7 adopted a resolution asking Shelby County leaders to convene a meeting of medical and community stakeholders to discuss the proposed Regional One hospital rebuild.
Councilman Jeff Warren said he sought the meeting to allow hospital leaders, medical organizations and elected officials to examine whether a nearly $1.9 billion hospital project is the "most appropriate use of funds" or whether alternative approaches could preserve critical services at lower public cost. Warren said he has spent months trying to convene stakeholders and urged the council to formally request such a meeting by the county mayor or commission.
Supporters said a focused meeting could clarify options for maintaining trauma, burn and neonatal services and avoid hastily committing large public sums while critics emphasized the importance of maintaining access to essential care. Council members questioned where the request should be directed; Councilwoman Susan Logan and others urged that county commissioners be invited or included because any expenditure of county funds would require their action.
The council first voted to approve the resolution (the motion carried with recusal noted for Councilwomen Green and White). Councilman Carlisle then moved to reconsider the item; that motion passed. Carlisle subsequently moved to amend the resolution to explicitly add the Shelby County Commission as a party to be invited; Councilwoman Logan indicated support for handling the matter as an invitation rather than a compulsion on the county. The council then approved the resolution as amended.
The resolution asks Shelby County leadership to convene representatives from regional hospital systems, religious medical centers, business leaders and other stakeholders to review whether the proposed rebuild is the best way to preserve or upgrade the services currently provided by Regional One. The resolution does not appropriate funds, change county authority, or set a timetable; it is a formal request and will be sent to the county mayor’s office and the county commission for consideration.
Council records show multiple votes on the item: the council approved the initial request, voted to reconsider the item, and then approved the item again after amendment to include the county commission. Several council members recused from the first vote due to stated conflicts, and those recusals were recorded in the council’s roll calls.
