Rally for Dr. Redington

On Tuesday afternoon a rally was held in support of Dr. James Redington and four other doctors who have resigned from Bath Community Hospital.    Despite a temperature of twenty degrees and a stiff wind about forty people were in downtown Hot Springs for the rally shortly after it got underway at 3 o’clock.  Holding signs, they stood on the corner of Route 220 and Main Street as drivers passing by blew car horns in support.

“My name is Kes Phillips. We need to get rid of a few on the board and keep Dr. Redington and the staff up here.”

“My name is Rhonda Beale, I live in West Warm Springs.  I’m here today to support the reinstatement of Dr. Redington and to try to get our hospital back on track because our health care is in jeopardy, our welfare is in jeopardy.  I hope it will wake up the board so they can see what is going on.  People are concerned and we need our heath care, our doctors and everything.  We do not want Dr. Redington to leave and we do not want the other doctors to leave as well.”

Ray Wright of Mitchelltown was holding a sign that said If my doctor goes, I go, which is what he plans to do if the dispute between the doctors and the hospital is not settled.   “I’m going to find a doctor somewhere else,” says Wright.  “I’m not going to fool with up here no more. I’ll take it somewhere else. I’m here for Dr. Redington’s support because he was my wife’s doctor for a long time and I want him back.”

“I’m High Hite.  I’ve lived here all my life, almost seventy four years.  Dr. Redington saved my life one time.  I divorced my wife for two weeks hunting season and here I am out here giving up my hunting for this.  I hope we just get Dr. Redington back and all the doctors.  I think we have the best crew of doctors up there now we’ve had for a long time.”

Stephen Terry of Bacova organized the event.

“I want to thank everyone that’s come out to the rally today, cold weather and I know there’s a lot of hunters out there,” says Terry. “But we’re here to voice our opinion and to tell the board that we want out doctors back and we want a secure hospital.   Some people had asked us to do this.  After some civil letter writing didn’t seem like it got us very far, we decided to pick it up a notch and have a little rally for the people here.  We’re looking forward to getting this dispute settled and so things can get back to normal in Bath County.  We’re hopeful that this group can become a fundraiser for the hospital and do some good things for the county.  This group was formed out of concerned citizens for the hospital and our doctors and once this issue is settled then we plan on being a huge booster for the hospital and to attract money to help our hospital be better in the future.”

Dr. Redington left Bath Community Hospital in late August when he learned his contract was not going to be renewed.   Four other doctors later submitted their resignations in support of Dr. Redington.   Dr. Redington recently filed a defamation lawsuit against the hospital and it was announced Monday that it will be going to mediation in early  December.