Perry County was in a health care desert about 90 miles southwest of Nashville, Tennessee, for five years. Ambulances from other counties had to drive many extra miles to reach needy people. Industries refused to locate in Perry County because of the lack of a hospital. That and other factors classified Perry County as a distressed county.
As reported in other media, "When you're in an emergency, you know, it's scary to be that far away from a hospital," said Elizabeth Hinson, the mother of two young children in Perry County.
Hinson said that being in a healthcare desert forced long ambulance rides for basic medical care. "I mean, Lexington is 45 minutes from here. If you're going to Waverly, you're an hour away," she said.
The drive is even longer for more specialized treatments in Nashville. "It's an hour and 45-minute haul on a good day when there's no traffic," said Hinson.
On Monday, September 29, 2025, the Perry County Hospital reopened.
"Perry County Hospital is now open and fully operational. You may begin transporting patients to Perry County Hospital immediately," said State Sen. Ed Jackson.
Kyle Kopec, co-founder of Braden Health and the new owner, said, "We have a full emergency department here. They're directly across from that nurses' station, so we can have a complete line of sight and visuals of what's happening."
Perry County Community Hospital has 25 inpatient beds in addition to emergency care. Staff can also fill prescriptions in its in-house pharmacy and perform on-site X-rays and CAT scans.
The hospital is even equipped to do its own lab work, which can dramatically speed up diagnosis time. "You will get results within a couple of hours on this or less," said Christie Swinford, the Lead Lab Tech for Braden Health.
Reopening the hospital was no simple task, especially after a mishap involving a nearby water tower. "
That water tower had a malfunction, and the backflow preventers at that hospital had a malfunction," said Kopec. "There was extensive work to mitigate mold, damage from the water, damage from the 5 years of neglect, and sitting vacant."
Braden Health also lobbied on Tennessee's Capitol Hill to change state law to reduce some of the regulatory burdens on rural healthcare, allowing it to have a regional lead lab tech instead of a lead lab tech on site in Perry County.
Changes to state regulations also allowed Braden to open only about 80 percent of the original facility, so they could fast-track opening up the most crucial parts of the hospital first.
To that end, Perry County can open up a surgical unit and additional hospital rooms in unused portions of the facility. "That allows us to take care of people sooner, lower the death rate sooner," said Kopec.
New possibilities
The reopening of Perry County Community Hospital will not only be a game-changer for local healthcare but could also create new economic development opportunities.
State Sen. Jackson (R-District 25) said they've had opportunities to bring new industry to Perry County. However, the industry did not come because the county lacked a hospital.
"They don't want to come if you don't have healthcare," said State Sen. Jackson, whose district includes the economically distressed Perry County. "Now this will be a game changer for Perry County."
Perry County Hospital Reopens September 29, 2025 Perry County was in a health care desert about 90 miles southwest of Nashville, Tennessee, for five years. Ambulances from other counties had to drive many extra miles to reach needy people. Industries refused to locate in Perry County because of the lack of a hospital. That and other factors classified Perry County as a distressed county. As reported in other media, "When you're in an emergency, you know, it's scary to be that far away from a hospital," said Elizabeth Hinson, the mother of two young children in Perry County. Hinson said that being in a healthcare desert forced long ambulance rides for basic medical care. "I mean, Lexington is 45 minutes from here. If you're going to Waverly, you're an hour away," she said. The drive is even longer for more specialized treatments in Nashville. "It's an hour and 45-minute haul on a good day when there's no traffic," said Hinson. On Monday, September 29, 2025, the Perry County Hospital reopened. "Perry County Hospital is now open and fully operational. You may begin transporting patients to Perry County Hospital immediately," said State Sen. Ed Jackson. Kyle Kopec, co-founder of Braden Health and the new owner, said, "We have a full emergency department here. They're directly across from that nurses' station, so we can have a complete line of sight and visuals of what's happening." Perry County Community Hospital has 25 inpatient beds in addition to emergency care. Staff can also fill prescriptions in its in-house pharmacy and perform on-site X-rays and CAT scans.The hospital is even equipped to do its own lab work, which can dramatically speed up diagnosis time. "You will get results within a couple of hours on this or less," said Christie Swinford, the Lead Lab Tech for Braden Health.Reopening the hospital was no simple task, especially after a mishap involving a nearby water tower. " That water tower had a malfunction, and the backflow preventers at that hospital had a malfunction," said Kopec. "There was extensive work to mitigate mold, damage from the water, damage from the 5 years of neglect, and sitting vacant." Braden Health also lobbied on Tennessee's Capitol Hill to change state law to reduce some of the regulatory burdens on rural healthcare, allowing it to have a regional lead lab tech instead of a lead lab tech on site in Perry County.Changes to state regulations also allowed Braden to open only about 80 percent of the original facility, so they could fast-track opening up the most crucial parts of the hospital first. To that end, Perry County can open up a surgical unit and additional hospital rooms in unused portions of the facility. "That allows us to take care of people sooner, lower the death rate sooner," said Kopec. The reopening of Perry County Community Hospital will not only be a game-changer for local healthcare but could also create new economic development opportunities. State Sen. Jackson (R-District 25) said they've had opportunities to bring new industry to Perry County. However, the industry did not come because the county lacked a hospital. "They don't want to come if you don't have healthcare," said State Sen. Jackson, whose district includes the economically distressed Perry County. "Now this will be a game changer for Perry County."