Congresswoman Terri Sewell (D-AL07) continued her Congress in Your Community Tour with a visit to Thomasville in Clarke County. Sewell toured the Thomasville Regional Medical Center (TRMC) and met with the facility’s leadership to help address their funding needs.
“I just visited the Thomasville Regional Medical Center and met with officials about how we can best support efforts to keep this hospital open,” Sewell said in a statement. “The residents of Thomasville, Clarke County, and the Black Belt depend on the Thomasville Regional Medical Center for lifesaving care. I, along with Mayor (Sheldon) Day, have been working tirelessly to find solutions that would address the hospital’s urgent financial needs. I want my constituents to know that I am committed to doing everything in my power to assist the Thomasville Regional Medical Center so that it can continue to serve this community.”
For months, Sewell has been strongly advocating for federal support to address the hospital’s urgent financial situation. During Tuesday’s visit, she reiterated her commitment to supporting the hospital, which serves as a resource for those living in the Black Belt. Sewell also visited Thomasville’s Westervelt Lumber Mill where she toured the facility and spoke with employees during a town hall event.
”We are fortunate to have Congresswoman Sewell on our team,” said Day, the Thomasville Mayor. “She has been an integral part of our efforts to improve our community and to raise the level of health care throughout the Black Belt. Her assistance and leadership in attracting jobs to the area through companies such as Westervelt has been invaluable. We are grateful she spent time with us in Thomasville today.”
TRMC offers a number of services including:
TRMC is a 29-bed acute care hospital and anchor facility for a 35-acre Medical Park development. TRMC is designed to create a unique environment that embraces ideas and elements found in residential and hospitality architecture, rather than institutional.
TRMC offers the Senographe Pristina 3D Mammography Machine, which they claim provides a level of comfort and service not available with 100 miles of Thomasville.
TRMC offers the Prodigy Advance Bone Density machine that provides high-performance bone density tests and body composition analysis. The Prodigy Advance delivers exceptional precision and low-dose radiation services that TRMC claims cannot be found within 100 miles.
Computed Tomography (CT) with the Revolution EVO CT system provides uncompromised image quality and clinical capabilities across all areas through the convergence of whole organ coverage, speed and image quality all in one CT system.
MRIs using the Optima MR450w 1.5 T with GEM Suite Coil technology. This advanced system from GE Healthcare is designed to help maximize comfort for patients undergoing MRI exams while delivering uncompromised imaging capability for the most advanced and demanding exams.
TRMC has equipped trauma rooms with doctors and nurses who handle a variety of conditions to provide the top level of care. Emergency rooms serve patients suffering from major traumatic injuries such as falls, motor vehicle collisions, gunshot wounds or other major traumas ranging from an ankle sprain to a heart attack.
A triage room to sort patients to provide them with the best possible care for their individual needs.
TRMC offers seven private exam rooms for same-day surgeries, for small procedures that do not require overnight stays. Services include Wellness and prevention, such as counseling and weight-loss programs and diagnosis such as lab tests and MRI scans.
TRMC has developed a Helipad to be used for air medical-related transports when needed.
Thomasville has an estimated 2022 population of just 3,686 people – down almost 900 residents from 2000 - and Clarke County has just 22,734 with an annual population decline of 1.29%. The average household income in Clarke County (2020 Census) is $37,345 versus $51,734 for the Alabama state average. The combination of a poorer population with a small population makes it difficult to attract doctors – particularly specialists – meaning more residents have to go outside of the county for their healthcare needs depriving the local rural hospital of patients and revenue.
Congresswoman Sewell is in her sixth term representing Alabama’s Seventh Congressional District.
To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandon.moseley@1819News.com.
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