John Coffelt, Editor

Unity Medical Center celebrated its 10^th anniversary Thursday, July 17 with a look back at the hospitals’ strides to provide care to the people of Manchester and a glimpse of what the future could hold through a partnership with Ascension St. Thomas.

“We gather not just to reflect on a decade of service,” Unity CEO Martha Henley said. “But to celebrate people, partnerships and purpose that has shaped this hospital, a pillar of care for our community.”

Henley credited the Unity team for meeting the challenges and rising to the occasions that allowed the hospital to reach the milestones it has over 10 years.

“Ten years ago, we planted our roots with the vision of bringing high quality healthcare to this community. Today, we’re stronger, more resilient and we continue to bring healthcare here,” she said.

Chairman of the Unity Medical Center Board and founder of Java Medical Group Bappa Mukherji recounted over 20 years ago when his group presented to the county an offer to purchase the old Coffee County Hospital.

Mukherji told how he was driving from Nashville when he encountered the now-infamous traffic of the first Bonnaroo. Mukherji, stuck on the interstate deadlock, cut a U-turn to double back to a side road, only to find that back road was also a parking lot of would-be festivalgoers.

Unwilling to miss the meeting, Mukherji grabbed his bundle of presentations to the County Commission and ran the rest of the way to town.

Mukherji was able to get a lift from Coffee County Bank by Ken Kirby to the meeting to finish the sales pitch and secure the purchase.

In 2015, Manchester’s two struggling hospitals were united by a pro forma loan to buy out the Medical Center of Manchester by United Regional Medical Center (URMC).

Mukherji said when the hospital assessed Manchester’s needs over the next 10 years, the journey forward could not be made alone.

“We asked ourselves are we the right people and do we have all the resources we need to… build a new facility and offer new services (that a growing Manchester will need).”

Unity partnered with Ascension St. Thomas in what Mukherji called a perfect blend of the right people and resources.

Ascension St. Thomas CEO Fahad Tahir said it’s their sincere commitment and faith that Manchester deserves a great hospital.

“I feel very grateful for the trust that (Unity’s leadership) is expressing in Ascension St. Thomas to be part of the story of Unity Medical Center,” Tahir said.

He called the joining of the two hospitals an incredible and unprecedented legacy.

“There are communities across Tennessee that are losing their hospitals every day,” Tahir said. “Trust me when I tell you, this is not a common story. This is a story of vision and work ethic – faith and fearlessness and making decisions that don’t make sense on paper but are for the greater good.”

Tahir said that Ascension St. Thomas can do better through the partnership with Unity Medical Center. 

“Together, Manchester, Coffee County and the region will be better served over time. That’s the responsibility we feel,” he said.

Tahir said moving forward Ascension will listen to the community to see what the needs are.

“Hopefully in what you heard today, is nothing about a transaction. It’s about people taking the responsibility to help each other and do the right thing for the community,” he said.

John has been with the Manchester Times since May 2011. John has won Tennessee Press Association awards for Best News Photo and placed in numerous other categories. John is a 1994 graduate of Tullahoma High School, a graduate of Motlow State Community College and earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from Middle Tennessee State University. He lives in Tullahoma, enjoys painting, dancing and exploring the outdoors.