During his campaign for the Florida House of Representatives, FAMU alumnus Alan Williams said that saving Gadsden County Hospital would be one of his top priorities. Earlier this summer, he delivered on that promise.
In May Gov. Charlie Crist signed House Bill 873, which Williams sponsored, into law. The legislation extends the deadline for proposed hospitals to complete preparations for an active hospital license from 18 months to three years. The bill also enables rural hospitals, including Gadsden County Hospital, with an inactive license for at least 20 months to receive an additional year to meet licensing requirements.
Williams said that without an extension, Gadsden County Hospital would have lost its license to operate on June 30.
The Florida Agency for Health Care Administration closed the hospital in 2005 for numerous violations. News reports cited a number of problems that included: a long backlog of untreated patients, uncollected garbage on the facility’s grounds, and a shortage of essential medical supplies.
“Gadsden County needs its hospital and the county and community have worked diligently to reopen it, including approving a half-cent sales tax last fall for the purpose of funding the hospital,” Williams said.
Currently, the hospital building only has an outpatient emergency center that it runs with help from Tallahassee Memorial Hospital. Patients must travel 45 minutes to Tallahassee for anything beyond basic ER treatment.
State Senate Minority Leader Al Lawson, who also represents Gadsden County, led the effort to build support for Williams’ bill in his own legislative chamber.
Nice work, Alan!
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