The Hutcheson Medical Center building in Fort Oglethorpe, Ga.
Hospital employees gather holding signs in the lobby of Hutcheson Medical Center Tuesday morning as CEO Farrell Hayes speaks at a press conference concerning the closing of the hospital.Hutcheson Medical Center employees and dozens of North Georgia residents have formed Save Hutcheson, a community initiative designed to prevent the foreclosure of Hutcheson by the Erlanger Health System.
The group is encouraging members of the community to keep the hospital open by circulating petitions, going door-to-door, making phone calls, writing letters to the editor and emailing members of Erlanger’s board of directors.
Hutcheson has struggled to pay its debts in recent years as physicians and patients have shifted to other hospitals.
Erlanger previously moved to revive Hutcheson with a $20 million loan and new management.
But Hutcheson terminated its management contract with Erlanger, and still owes more than $20 million on its loan, and another $40 million to other lenders.