What was old is new again Cornerstone, the area's newest hospital

Signs had already been changed, auxiliary members were again staffing the information desk, its emergency room had never ceased operations and last Thursday a ribboncutting ceremony made it official: Cornerstone Medical Center is open for business.

Speaking to a group of about 100 attending the event, Cornerstone CEO Jessica Long said, “The number present speaks to the importance this hospital is given by its community.”

Cornerstone is the name given the former Hutcheson hospital that had become insolvent and was purchased in a federal bankruptcy court auction by ApolloMD, a physician staffing service based in Atlanta.

“We’ve been staffing the ER for about a year,” said Boykin Robinson, chairman of Cornerstone’s board of trustees and an ApolloMD divisional president. “Apollo liked the com- munity and wanted to be here. The community’s support has been great.”

ApolloMD had taken over management of the hospital in December 2015 while the sale, which was completed in May, was pending.

Accreditation and renovation has been an ongoing effort, but with Thursday’s ribbon-cutting and, two days later, a family fun day to introduce the facility to the public the hospital that never went away is back.

“Isn’t it great that we’re about to embark on a new medical center,” state Sen. Jeff Mullis of Chickamauga said during the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

After praising the Cornerstone administration and staff for the job they are doing, Mullis said he — and his children — had been born at Hutcheson and that the hospital had always provided great care.

“I want, and know, you’re going to be successful,” he said. “We want you to know we wish you the best. Good luck to you.”