Emory-Adventist Hospital Could be Reborn as VA Clinic

A Smyrna hospital which ceased operations earlier this year due to financial difficulties is the perfect spot to establish a new Veterans’ Administration clinic, a Smyrna city councilman says.

According to the Marrieta Daily Journal, Councilman Wade Lnenicka spoke at a rally outside the shuttered facility on Saturday in support of converting the hospital into a new clinic to serve area veterans. Lnenicka and leaders of veterans’ organizations in Smyrna say that converting the hospital to a VA clinic would be an easy task, and that expanding VA operations in the area will cut down on wait times and improve care for veterans, the MDJ reports.

Lnenicka and other leaders are hoping to raise awareness of this valuable medical space and hope to garner attention from members of Congress to ensure that the opportunity for a new clinic in Smyrna is not wasted, the MDJ says.

Adventist Health System and Emory Healthcare announced on July 30 that Emory-Adventist would be closing due to financial shortfalls and an inability to remain economically viable in the current health care environment,

The decision to close the hospital was made on July 28, following months of searching for other alternatives, including partnering with other health systems to keep the hospital afloat. The Emory-Adventist Health System’s board came to the conclusion that, “the hospital is no longer sustainable in today’s dramatically changed health care environment.”