Americus: FEMA pledges funding for hospital

Americus residents inspect overturned SUV, shattered hospital
building at Sumter Regional. (Dave Bender)

The Federal Emergency Management Bureau has pledged to provide significant financial aid to Sumter Regional Hospital, hammered by a tornado on March 1st.

The announcement came on Friday as 60 temporary housing units, known as COGIM arrived at the facility's parking-lot.

Hospital CEO and President David Seagraves told reporters at the site,

“We are happy to say that FEMA is on board on the financial side of things to build a new hospital...”

Hospital CFO Troy Hammett told the Americus Times-Recorder:

“FEMA’s not committed to paying a dollar amount, just 75 percent of what’s left after the insurance pays.”

Hospital officials say the interim facility is expected to begin handling patients in November.

Click here for more GPB News reports on this story.

Americus: insurer okay's razing Sumter Regional Hosp.

Americus residents inspect overturned SUV, shattered hospital
building at Sumter Regional. (Photo: Dave Bender)

Officials at the regional care facility, which sustained severe structural and water damage from a tornado on March 1st, said the building will be razed.

There was uncertainty over the past few months as to the outcome of the hospital insurer's final assessment of the extent of the damage.

David Seagraves, President and CEO told reporters that the hospital's administration felt, "it would not have been the proper solution to go back into this old building.”

Officials say they hope a new facility will be ready by 2010.

For previous GPB News reports on the twister that ripped through Americus, and the aftermath, click here.

For an audio slideshow on the extent of the damage, and how the staff coped, click here.

Sumter Regional Hospital website.