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TJ Health Columbia celebrates 10 years service By Mig Feuser / The Adair Progress Employees, community leaders and guests gathered last week to celebrate a milestone that many in Adair County once feared might never come. T.J. Health Columbia marked its 10th anniversary with an open house and community celebration, recognizing a decade of expanding healthcare services while reflecting on the hospital's remarkable transformation since joining the T.J. Regional Health system in 2016. For many of those attending, the anniversary was more than a birthday celebration. It was a reminder of how much healthcare in Columbia has changed over the past decade. Shelby Hatcher, Director of Emergency Services and Inpatient Nursing, has witnessed nearly every step of that journey. She began working at the hospital as a 20-year-old employee when it still operated under its former ownership. "I've seen the building take shape in a lot of different forms," Hatcher said. "We started with basically just the emergency room." Today, the hospital offers far more than emergency care. A busy inpatient medical-surgical unit, cardiopulmonary rehabilitation, laboratory services, radiology, wound care, IV therapy, rehabilitation services, pulmonary care and specialty clinics have become part of everyday operations. A mobile MRI unit now visits twice each week, giving local patients access to advanced diagnostic imaging without leaving the county. Hatcher recalled the night the transition to T.J. Health officially became reality. "It flipped over at midnight," she said. "There were people here from Glasgow and Columbia. It was mass chaos, but the opportunity to still have a hospital here--that's the main thing." She remembers a time when many questioned whether Columbia would continue to have a hospital at all. "We're very, very grateful for T.J. and that we're here and able to serve the community," she said. Mayor Pamela Hoots praised the hospital not only for the medical care it provides but also for its role as a community partner. "We appreciate them and the services they give to our community," Hoots said. "It means so much to have so many amazing healthcare services within our rural community." She noted that T.J. Health Columbia now provides a wide range of services, including cardiology, cardiopulmonary rehabilitation, emergency care, inpatient services, laboratory testing, pulmonology, radiology, rehabilitation, wound care and the Swing Bed Program. "As if that were not enough," the mayor added, "T.J. Samson is also a great partner for the city with community events and programs," pointing to the hospital's annual co-hosting of the Spirit of Columbia Awards and its support for numerous local events. Perhaps the biggest achievement, Hoots said, is how dramatically healthcare has advanced during the past decade. "Over the 10 years of their presence in Columbia, TJ has moved health in Columbia forward way more than just a decade," she said. "Adair County now hosts one of just two Trauma Centers in all of the State of Kentucky." Last week's celebration featured refreshments, tours, giveaways and opportunities for community members to meet hospital staff while looking back at the hospital's first decade under T.J. Health. The event served as both a thank-you to employees and an invitation for residents to see firsthand how the facility has grown. The anniversary comes only weeks after the hospital expanded services again with the addition of its new cardiopulmonary rehabilitation program, another example of the continued investment in local healthcare. For Hatcher, however, the greatest success cannot be measured by new equipment or additional services. "It's the fact that we're still here," she said. After ten years of growth, that simple statement may best summarize what T.J. Health Columbia has meant to Adair County: not only preserving local healthcare, but steadily building a stronger future for it. This story was posted on 2026-08-01 13:16:40
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Community invited to T.J. Health Columbia Celebration Adair Co. Ambulance Service awarded $438K Rural Health Grant T.J. Health Columbia to celebrate 10 years of service TJHC awarded Acute Stroke Ready Hospital Certification KBC Blood Drive on July 15 TJCMF: Stop the Bleed Training at the Glasgow Police Dept Vital economic and wellness lifeline rescued by TJ Keith is proud of T.J. investment in long term health T.J. Health Cardiopulmonary Rehab opens Tuesday Tips for self care may help with depression View even more articles in topic Health Care |
 
115 Jamestown St. Columbia, KY. 270-384-2496 
 
 
 
 
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