NEWS
Bowie ER opens after 2 years of work by Faith Community Health System
By BARBARA GREEN
[email protected]
On Sunday afternoon the culmination of two years of hard work came to fruition as Faith Community Health System opened the doors of its new hospital emergency room in Bowie.
Chief Executive Officer Frank Beaman announced the ER was “going live” at the climax of a reverential dedication ceremony for employees, families and community leaders Sunday afternoon. It was greeted with loud applause from the audience.
There will be a grand opening ribbon cutting at noon on Oct. 23 and the public is invited.
Bowie Memorial Hospital closed Nov. 16, 2015 after nearly 50 years of service to the area. The property was purchased and reopened in May 2017 as Central Hospital of Bowie, but it closed in early 2020. Emergency care has relied on Nocona General Hospital and Wise Health in Decatur.
In mid-August 2021 Faith Community Health System announced it would open an emergency room at the former hospital location.
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 a full hospital 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.
The opening
Dr. Shawn White, medical director for Faith Community, welcomed the guests and reflected on how he was tasked with helping coordinate about 40 providers, employees and their families as the system grows. He promised the team at Faith, “Have their hearts in the right places doing this work to edify Bowie and serve patients”
Beaman said this was a very proud moment for his executive team, the board and all the employees who have been working to prepare the opening.
Read the full story in the mid-week Bowie News.
The Department of Public Safety has provided information on an auto vs. motorcycle accident that reportedly occurred on July 4.
James Lee Hilton, Nocona, was driving a 2019 Harley-Davidson motorcycle and Daniel Parra, Chico, was driving a 2018 Ford Fiesta. Both vehicles were north on State Highway 101 outside Sunset with the motorcycle behind the car.
Parra was attempting to turn left on Farm-to-Market Road 2265 when the motorcyclist attempted to unsafely pass to the left states the report. The bike struck the left side of the Fiesta. Both vehicles came to rest off the roadway on the northwest corner of SH 101 and FM 2265.
Hilton was transported to Denton Medical City with
A major crash on East Wise in front of the Second Monday parking on July 11 shut down traffic for several hours in the morning and sent two people to the Bowie emergency room.
The accident occurred at 9:53 a.m. Thursday at 1616 E. Wise involving a large sign installation truck and an SUV.
Briana Rollison, Bowie, was driving a 2001 Ford Expedition east in the 1600 block of E. Wise and the large truck from Turner Signs System of Richland Hills was traveling west on East Wise driven by Joshua Thompson.
The preliminary accident report states Thompson lost control of the vehicle crossing the double yellow line striking the SUV in front of the Parker Properties and Farm Services Building. The SUV was knocked into the ditch and later made it back on the roadway.
The truck rolled on the passenger side and slid about 50-100 feet west of the incident location. Skid marks from the truck were observed to start approximately 300-350 feet east of the crash location.
See the full story in the weekend Bowie News.
By BARBARA GREEN
[email protected]
Bowie City Councilors this week got their first look at the 2024-25 proposed budget seeing a balanced plan with a total operational budget of $23,296,885 in expenses, which is a little more than $1.4 million above the previous year’s budget.
Mayor Gaylynn Burris said Monday night the budget looks “eerily familiar” to last year, despite adding a few equipment purchases. City Manager Bert Cunningham said he had already slashed more than $300,000 from the department requests in order to get a balanced budget.
The utility fund is balanced with expenses of $12,595,995 and revenues projected at $12,601,000. In the general fund revenues are projected at $10,705,568 with expenses at $10,700,890. Total budget expenses are $23,296,885 and overall revenue projected at $23,306,568. Cunningham said it leaves a small margin to set forth a balanced budget.
Read the full story in the weekend Bowie News.
Top photo: New chip and seal was laid on Elba and Lamb this week repairing well-worn roads near the Nelson/Mill drainage project. (Photo by Barbara Green)
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