A look at Impact of Lawrence County ER Department's Closure | May 1, 2025 | News 19 at 6 p.m.
WHNT News 19
[{'start': '2.635', 'end': '7.573', 'text': "IS NO NEWS. 19.   >> HARD TO FOR THAT REPORT.   LOURDES MEDICAL CENTER WILL BE   CLOSING ITS EMERGENCY   DEPARTMENT LATER THIS MONTH.   AND WE'RE LEARNING MORE ABOUT   WHAT THIS WILL MEAN FOR   PATIENTS IN THAT AREA. NEWS 19   IS KAYLA SMITH HAS BEEN   FOLLOWING THIS STORY. AND   KAYLA, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE   CHANGES PEOPLE CAN EXPECT IN   THAT AREA?   >> TAMIKA IN MAY, LAWRENCE   MEDICAL CENTER WILL BE BROUGHT   UNDER THE UMBRELLA OF DECATUR,   MORGAN'S HOSPITAL LICENSE.   THIS MEANS MOVING FORWARD.   HOSPITAL LEADERSHIP IN DECATUR   IS NOW IN CHARGE OF MANAGING   THE MEDICAL CENTER IN MULTAN   TODAY I SPOKE TO KELLY POWERS,   THE PRESIDENT OF DECATUR,   MORGAN HOSPITAL, AND SHE TELLS   ME THEY'RE REALLY PRIORITIZING   OUTPATIENT SERVICES AT   WARREN'S MEDICAL POWER SAYS   THAT MEANS EXPANDING OPTIONS   FOR URGENT CARE, INCLUDING HOW   LONG THE CLINIC ON HIGHWAY   ONE. 57 IS OPEN IN THE PAST.   THE URGENT CARE AND MOULTON   HAS BEEN STAFFED NURSE   PRACTITIONER. BUT NOW THERE   WILL BE A PHYSICIAN WORKING   POWER SAYS PATIENTS WILL BE   ABLE TO GET SOMETHING LIKE AN   X-RAY OR STITCHES WHEN IT   COMES TO MORE SERIOUS CASES.   DECATUR MORGAN HOSPITAL IS   PREPARED TO TAKE THOSE   PATIENTS IN THEIR EMERGENCY   RULE. POWER SAYS MANY PEOPLE   WHO LIVE IN LAWRENCE COUNTY   ALREADY ARRIVED BY AMBULANCE   OR DRIVE THEMSELVES TO THE ER   IN DECATUR. SHE TELLS ME   DECATUR, MORGAN IS A   FULL-SERVICE HOSPITAL AND   THEIR RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE   TO THOSE WHO NEED THEM.   >> I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE   CATER MORGAN DO ANYTHING THAT   WE CAN IMPROVE AND ENHANCE   OUTPATIENT SERVICES THAT THEY   HAVE. WE'RE GOING TO BUILD A   BUILDING.   >> POWER SAYS TAXPAYER DOLLARS   HELPED FUND LAWRENCE MEDICAL   CENTER AND SHE TELLS ME THEY   WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT MONEY   STAYS LOCAL IN THE FUTURE.   THEY PLAN TO BUILD A NEW MORE   MODERN MEDICAL CENTER IN   MULTAN. AND OF COURSE, THESE   CHANGES ARE GOING TO START   TAKING EFFECT MAY. THE   EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT WILL   CLOSE DOWN MAY 23RD MISSION   PEOPLE LIVING AROUND THAT AREA   ARE REALLY COUNTER VIS ABOUT   THIS EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT   CLOSING.   >> WHAT IS THIS GOING TO MEAN   FOR THEM? WE'LL, OF COURSE   THOSE DRIVE TIMES ARE A BIG   CONCERN. PEOPLE HAVE TOLD ME   THEY'RE NERVOUS ABOUT THOSE   DRIVE TIMES. IT TAKES 30   MINUTES TO GET FROM MOLTON TO   DECATUR, MORGAN HOSPITAL LIKE   LOCKED IT YESTERDAY. HOWEVER,   I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT AMBULANCE   SERVICES WILL STAY THE SAME IN    LAWRENCE"}]