De Queen Hospital Update
After last week’s press conference at the Sevier County Courthouse regarding the closure of the De Queen Medical Center, Sevier County Judge Greg Ray, De Queen Mayor Jeff Brown, and Dr. Steve Cole, Chairman of the Sevier County Rural Development Authority, announced Monday morning the effort to establish a new county owned hospital is gaining momentum each day.
Judge Ray said, “My office has received numerous calls of support. Many of those callers are relieved that this effort is being spear headed by local people who have one objective, and that is to make sure that we have a first class hospital in De Queen”.
Mayor Brown said his office has been busy as well and that the common theme amongst the residents he has been in contact with is unity. “Everyone seems to be excited about a fresh new start. They like the fact that our effort’s leadership team is made up of local people who have no ties to the previous hospital mistakes. People whose only agenda is to do what’s right for the medical needs of our citizens.”
Dr. Cole echoed that sentiment. “The De Queen area deserves the very best emergency services available. We feel it is important that we have one voice in getting this project done. With the obstacles we face, the last thing our county needs is to have three or four different entities stumbling over one another. We need to get this done without regard to who gets the credit. Our effort’s leadership members were chosen because of their knowledge of the community’s needs and we feel confident that everyone on board is here for the right reasons. We have chosen the Little Rock law firm of Friday, Eldredge and Clark to help us through this process because they are without a doubt, the undisputed leaders in health care matters in this state. The Friday Firm will guide us through the entire process, from the issuance of hospital bonds to the architectural plans. As we stated at last week’s news conference, the ball is already rolling. Moving forward, we will keep the public informed and we welcome any outside input. Our pledge is to be as transparent as possible through this process. Comments and suggestions are encouraged. Interested parties may call Judge Ray at (870) 642-2425. And check out the Friday Firm’s website if you have any doubts about the quality of their work. www.fridayfirm.com. We truly believe if we all work together, we can make this happen.”