HOPKINSVILLE, KY (CHRISTIAN COUNTY NOW) – A group of community leaders have formed Save Jennie Stuart to request that the Jennie Stuart Board of Trustees pause and reconsider the plan to join Jennie Stuart Health with Deaconess.

The announcement about Deaconess was made in September 2024. In a news release, Jennie Stuart Health said their board of directors signed a non-binding letter of intent (LOI) to join Deaconess Health. With the execution of the LOI, the parties began a due diligence process that allows both health systems to evaluate each other and finalize the specific details of the agreement that would strengthen and grow medical services for Hopkinsville and the surrounding communities. This process is expected to be completed by late 2024 after further board and regulatory approvals.

“Rural hospitals today are facing huge challenges to provide the healthcare needed to best serve our communities,” said Jennie Stuart President and CEO Eric Lee. “By coming together with Deaconess, we will be able to continue our mission and expand services that we know will positively impact the health and well-being of the communities we serve.”

The Save Jennie Stuart organizers include several members of the Jennie Stuart Board of Trustees including Theresa Nichol, Darrell Gustafson, Dan Kemp, and Helen Cayce, the first Nurse Practitioner at Jennie Stuart and community health care activist.

Other people who are supporting Save Jennie Stuart include five former Jennie Stuart Board of Trustees Chairmen, two mayors, a county judge executive, a former Chamber of Commerce CEO and other community leaders, according to a statement from Save Jennie Stuart. They are asking for a pause so that the community can be heard and informed.

“Our aim is to ensure that quality healthcare remains local, driven by local decision making and a community-focused approach,” previously stated Shawn McCoy, CEO of Deaconess. “Deaconess has collaborated with Jennie Stuart and local providers in Kentucky for many years, and we look forward to ensuring that specialized services are accessible to all the patients Jennie Stuart serves.”

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