NEWS
Faith Community Health System opens Bowie ER for patients today
Shortly after 1 p.m. Sunday the new Faith Community Health System Bowie emergency room went “live” and began accepting patients.
That announcement was greeted with loud applause as a reverential dedication ceremony for employees, families and community leaders came to an end. Frank Beaman, chief executive officer for Faith Community, turned to the ER director and said it was a go everything was ready.
The return of emergency medical care in Bowie has been a major concern for businesses and citizens who have been without immediate ER care in the city since Feb. 4, 2020 when Central Hospital closed its doors. The property was in an out of the bank’s hands many times and up for sale on the courthouse steps before it landed with investors who worked with Faith Community to establish a new ER in the former hospital. Bowie has been without a fully operational hospital since Nov. 16, 2015 when Bowie Memorial Hospital closed after nearly 50 years of service to the community. BMH was purchased and reopened as Central Hospital in May 2017, but it never really got its footing and closed in early 2020. Bowie emergency care has relied on Nocona General Hospital and Wise Health Care in Decatur.
It was a major undertaking as the building had been left to waste after it closed. Rain, freezing weather, thieves and neglect took a drastic toll by the time Faith launched the renovation and announced its intention to open an ER in August 2021. The last two years have been fraught with delays and unexpected costs many caused by the pandemic and post-pandemic business environment.
Top photo – Faith Community Rural Health System Medical Director Shawn White welcomed guests to Sunday’s ceremony.
By BARBARA GREEN
[email protected]
Trustees of the Bowie Independent School District welcomed one new member this week following the Nov. 5 election and accepted the 2023-24 outside audit with no exceptions.
Incumbent Trustee Jacky Betts returned to place one and Angie Christmas took the place two seat. After the board officers were dissolved with the new ones taking the oath, officers were elected. Betts will continue as president, Guy Green as vice president and Kent Dosch as secretary.
Paul Fleming of Edgin, Parkman, Fleming & Fleming, PC, presented the audit telling there were no issues and the process went smoothly. He noted the biggest change was the Legislature compressing the district tax rate and additional changes in the tax law. State aid formula grants increased due to the state’s funding formula compensating for lost property tax revenue due to the law change previously mentioned.
Read the full story in the weekend Bowie News.
By BARBARA GREEN
[email protected]
Information was the watchword for the second hospital/emergency room community meeting Tuesday night, as the steering committee was announced along with additional financial considerations.
About 50 people attended the meeting. Melody Gillespie, who was named chairperson for the committee, said the goal is to gather information to get it out into the community. This group was formed after the Bowie emergency room was closed by Faith Rural Health System in early October just shy of one year of operating in Bowie.
Kylie Ward, one of the public relations volunteers, said, “This committee is not here to force things on you and there are assumptions already we are proposing a tax. We are not, we don’t have that ability, we are just a research team here to explore all the options.”
Other members of the committee include Tiffany Chandler and Damon Benton handling finance and grant research; Jennifer Tellef, secretary; Valerie Tomerson, grant research; Ann Smith, PR and Margin Latham and Gillespie, legislative research. It was pointed out there are other members of the sub-committees who are helping with research, but they also invite anyone interested to help with the process.
Read the full story in the weekend Bowie News.
Top photo – Jack County Judge Keith Umphress spoke at this week’s steering committee meeting. (Photo by Barbara Green)
The following indictments were filed with the 97th District Clerk following the November session of the Montague County Grand Jury.
There were a total of 13 indictments with one sealed awaiting the arrest of a suspect.
A grand jury indictment is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Read the full list of indictments in your mid-week Bowie News.
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