What will the opening of Northern Campbell Community Hospital, formerly Jellico Hospital, mean for the Jellico community?
Jellico Alderman Joe Creekmore said last Friday’s groundbreaking means a lot of things for the community.
“There have been a lot of prayers over many, many years. It has been 2015 – I believe – since we had a fully operating hospital here that employed over 200 people. Obviously, when you lose that it is going to impact your community on so many levels, healthcare, jobs, economics, it is across the board. This is just layers and layers of blessings,” Creekmore said.
In a community with 1,800 – 2,000 people, Creekmore said the investment of $14 million in the hospital and the reopening of the facility employing approximately 120 people will have a significant impact.
Kyle T. Kopec, co-founder, Chief Compliance Officer, and Vice President of Government Affairs at BradenHealth, noted the city did an excellent job protecting the building during the closure by keeping the water and electric on so the building did not deteriorate and keeping the building in the best shape it could.
This came with a cost to the city, which is currently operating with a deficit.
Creekmore said the deficit is partially due to the fact the city has kept the utilities on at the hospital.
The city has also lost some population since the hospital closed on March 9, 2024. At the time it was only partially operating.
Creekmore said the first time Jellico officials met with BradenHealth officials to show them the facility, BradenHealth CEO and founder Dr. Beau Braden shared something with them, which stuck in his mind. Braden told them normally, when a hospital reopens, the town’s population increases.
“Obviously, that is what we need in our community,” Creekmore added.
Officials noted there are jobs already posted on Indeed.com and on northcampbell.health for the hospital, which is slated to reopen next year.
Creekmore said he plans to share this information on social media to help get the word out.
“It is just a lot of excitement for a lot of folks. It is going to have a huge impact on the whole community. It will affect this whole region,” Creekmore said.
Braden noted the difference between a closed hospital and an open hospital are people.
“Now, we get an opportunity to bring really good people to serve the community here. Locals taking care of locals. People getting hired and coming back to work and to get this place open,” Braden added.
