MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Shelby County Board of Commissioners moved forward Wednesday with plans to give millions of dollars to improve the Regional Medical Center.
A committee gave a favorable recommendation to a resolution approving a funding agreement with Regional One Health for $7.5 million. If approved by the full commission, it will cover critical capital infrastructure needs.
The funding would be divided as follows:
$3.6 million will go towards upgrading elevators.
$2 million will go toward parking garages and structural repairs.
$500,000 will be spent on lighting repair.
$500,000 will go to campus upgrades.
$500,000 will replace the obsolete tube system used to transport objects.
$625,000 will be spent on the Infant Abduction Security System
$400,000 will go towards patient room repairs.
Wednesday, while on WREG’s Live at Nine, Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris said it is important to continue to invest in infrastructure. “I am encouraged by the fact that we will be able to invest in Regional One, which is a public hospital that all of us have stories about. Loved ones whose lives have been saved.”
The mayor also sent out tweets thanking former Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell and current District Attorney Steve Mulroy for supporting the rebuild of Regional One, saying, “Regional One provides life-saving aid to all officers shot or seriously injured in the line of duty. This is a critical job, and we must ensure they have the facility needed to do it.”
$5 million of the $7.5 million is coming from the Shelby County Capital Improvement Plan Budget. The other $2.5 \million is leftover money from the American Rescue Plan Act.
That funding is entirely separate from the $350 million request for a potential rebuild of the aging facility.
WREG reached out to Regional Medical Center and is waiting to hear back.