Baptist Memorial Health Care recently donated the former McKenzie Regional Hospital building and grounds, valued at $1.29 million in 2019, to the McKenzie Industrial Board.
The 57,385-square-foot property, which sits on 16.21 acres of land located near the center of the city, will help spearhead economic growth and development for the community.
“Baptist Memorial Health Care is proud to support the growth of McKenzie and its residents,” said Susan Breeden, administrator and CEO of Baptist Carroll County. “After the prior owner closed the hospital, we purchased this property in 2018 to preserve health care in the region. At the same time, we feel blessed and privileged to also contribute to the long-term well-being and success of McKenzie residents with the donation of this additional property for economic development.”
The city of McKenzie has plans to sell the property to an industrial buyer, thereby changing the classification of the area.
“We are grateful for this generous gift from Baptist Memorial Health Care,” said McKenzie Mayor Jill Holland. “This donation will allow us to transform the area and repurpose it in a way that will support our community’s current needs and position us for continued growth in the future.”
Baptist purchased McKenzie Regional’s buildings, land, equipment and ambulance service in July 2018 from Quorum Health Corporation, which had announced plans to close the hospital. To avoid duplication of services and preserve access to health care within county limits, Baptist maintained outpatient services in the city and expanded the offering of services available at Baptist Carroll County.
Baptist Carroll County, formerly Baptist Huntingdon, has served Carroll County residents for more than 35 years.