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Jackson Hospital - TPR's In Focus - Feb 27, 2026 · In Focus with Carolyn Hutcheson

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  Support comes from the Wiregrass Archives at Troy University's Dothan Campus,
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  identifying and preserving historical documents and photographs for research related to the
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  Wiregrass region. More information at troy.edu slash wiregrass archives.
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  From Troy Public Radio, this is the news wrap from In Focus and I'm Carolyn Hutcheson. Todd
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  Stacy, host of Alabama Public Television's Capital Journal, discusses the status of
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  Montgomery's Jackson Hospital and the state's involvement. And the wild card is about one of
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  the last competitors in the Winter Olympics. Todd, welcome back to the news wrap from Capital
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  Journal on Alabama Public Television. Good to be with you. Todd, it is a lively time for the
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  legislature and I noticed that Governor Ivey has weighed in on a big issue. What is that?
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  Well, that's right. We all here in this area have been concerned about the financial troubles
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  facing Jackson Hospital. It's really the downtown hospital now that St. Margaret's isn't around
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  anymore. And so, you know, its closure, which is likely under the circumstances, would be really
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  devastating not just to Montgomery, but to state government, to the surrounding area,
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  including rural areas. So this week, Governor Ivey and the state finance board pledged to borrow
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  up to $40 million to help out Jackson Hospital. These funds would be used after the hospital
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  goes through the bankruptcy process. That was an important stipulation. And now this is the
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  Amendment 666 Bonding Commission. This commission was created about 26 years ago to help finance
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  economic development and community projects. And so there wasn't a unanimous vote on this board.
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  Matter of fact, two of the lawmakers on the board did not vote for this, but it's an important step
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  to try to keep Jackson Hospital open and maybe also nudge the locals, right? The city council
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  originally voted to support Jackson Hospital, but the mayor vetoed that the county commission had
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  also considered something. So maybe the state's investment here will nudge the city and the county
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  to step in as well. And Todd, you know, we've been talking for several years now about the crisis with
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  the rural hospital closings. And now we have a metro hospital in Montgomery. So it is a big issue.
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  It's a huge issue. And just think about not just the lack of access, but how other hospitals would
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  be overwhelmed in terms of emergency rooms and things like that. And there's no question
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  that Jackson Hospital has gone through some mismanagement over the years. We can't put that
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  toothpaste back in the tube. And I know that somebody like Governor Ivey and the others on
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  this board, it's not something they want to do, but feel like they have to do it to preserve
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  something for the capital city. And Todd, underlying this whole issue is the fact that Alabama is not
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  one of America's healthiest states. Well, no, and we also did not expand Medicaid as many other
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  states did. Medicaid expansion states, it's not all rosy, but in terms of hospitals,
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  that did contribute to hospitals around the state closing, including rural hospitals.
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  Well, let's lighten up with a wild card. What do you have?
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  I'm sad that the Olympics are done because I love the Olympics, both the Winter Olympics
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  and Summer Olympics. I was glued to coverage when I could be. Hopefully folks noticed this,
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  a dog got loose during a ski race, a cross country ski race, where they go for miles and miles.
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  And this wolf dog, it's like a half wolf, half dog got out and just ran with the skiers to finish
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  the course. And so it got out there on the course and really had fun. And I just thought that was
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  a great wild card to tie into the Olympics. You think he stole the show? Oh, absolutely.
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  Look, I've always said if Toby could get on Capitol Journal, our ratings would go through the roof.
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  People love dogs. One day, I hope Toby will be on Capitol Journal. We all want to meet him.
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  He's sitting right here, and I think he'd make a TV star. Well, thanks for the news wrap. Thank you.
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  Todd Stacy, host of Capitol Journal, joined us from Alabama Public Television.
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  You can catch Capitol Journal, 7.30 Friday night, noon on Sunday and on YouTube. Thanks for joining
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  us for the news wrap from In Focus, which is a podcast on NPR One or wherever you get your
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  podcasts. I'm Carolyn Hutcheson, and this is listener-supported Troy Public Radio.