Blount County is gearing up for a critical vote that could put an end to a drawn-out healthcare hullabaloo. On March 21, the Blount County Commission is set to decide on a proposal that would potentially finish the protracted tiff over Blount Memorial Hospital's management, as WBIR reported. Commissioners mulled over the details in a Tuesday workshop, where they examined a resolution that entails the first-ever management scheme for the county’s only major hospital.
The agenda for the upcoming meeting includes a trio of proposals aiming to bridge the rift, sprouted from legal squabbles and political disagreements. According to WATE's coverage, the affair escalated when local city mayors sent a letter in June 2022 questioning the process the hospital's board used to select a new CEO. The hospital, responded by hauling local officials to court in December to affirm its autonomy and push forward with a multimillion-dollar facility sale. Amidst this fray, an unexpected letter from Blount County's mayor in February of last year sought to invite UT Medical Center into the melee, stirring up even more controversy.
The heated back-and-forth reached a crescendo with the court ordering both parties to hash things out in mediation last March, a stint that concluded without a settlement. Following this, Blount Memorial's ruffled feathers saw a significant shake-up with Harold Naramore's exit as CEO in January 2024, opening the stage for Jonathan Smith's interim tenure. The proposed charter amendment would bestow BMH with the prerogative to oversee the hospital operations, capping it off with a nine-member board, the majority of whom would bear the nod of Blount County's elected bodies along with the municipalities of Maryville and Alcoa, as captured by WBIR’s article.
The ongoing saga which involved sending a cease and desist letter to UTMC to halt any takeover conversations, revved up rhetoric on both sides of the dispute. Jonathan Smith, appointed as the Interim CEO, stepping into a role vacated by Naramore, is now at the helm during this turbulent negotiation phase. The commission's resolution, if passed, would bring a much-anticipated resolution, with local leaders and BMH Inc. calling off the legal face-off that cast a shadow over the administration of healthcare services in Blount County. Ground News noted the significant pivot towards resolution that this vote represents.
