Regional One Health President & CEO Reginald Coopwood, MD, says all patients in Memphis and the Mid-South deserve world-class medical care.

He is committed to modernizing the health care system’s facilities to ensure patients have access to the services they need.

The best way to do so is to move forward with the health care system’s plans for an academic medical center, and leaders continue working toward that vision.

Since 1829, Regional One Health has been here for this community – in times of great need, tragedy, joy, illness, and good health. Through nearly two centuries of change, our commitment has never wavered: from caring for every member of our community regardless of their ability to pay or the complexity of their condition. Our hospital has always stood as a place of healing, hope, and strength for all who walk through our doors, no matter their circumstances.

Dr. Reginald Coopwood says Regional One Health’s plans for an academic medical center is the best way to serve the community’s health care needs: “The choice facing our community isn’t whether we can afford to build this facility – it’s whether we can afford not to.”

Today, that commitment is stronger than ever. Regional One Health is proud to be home to a world-class trauma center treating 14,000 patients annually, a leading high-risk obstetrics program, a nationally recognized NICU, a verified burn center, and a growing list of specialized services. These aren’t services that can be easily replicated or relocated – they require specialized infrastructure, dedicated teams, and the kind of 24/7 readiness that only comes from decades of experience and purpose-built facilities. The specialized nature of trauma care, high-risk obstetrics, and burn treatment requires more than vacant square footage.  It demands infrastructure designed specifically for these critical services.

This is who Regional One Health is. And the Mid-South is healthier, stronger, and better because of it.

Recently, we’ve become aware of alternative proposals being discussed in place of Regional One Health’s campus modernization project. Neither I nor any members of our senior leadership team have been approached by the individual suggesting these alternatives. However, based on the information we’ve heard, I can state with confidence that these proposals are not viable.

The idea of relocating Regional One Health’s specialized services into empty space somewhere else that is aging and equally outdated lacks practical merit. Patients, families, and healthcare professionals deserve to receive and deliver care in an environment that meets today’s rigorous standards for safety, efficiency, and innovation. Simply shifting services between inadequate facilities does nothing to solve the underlying issues.

The suggestion to bring all local health systems together to operate a single academic medical center is also not a viable option.  While the idea of multiple institutions in the same city partnering may sound intriguing in theory, it is not legally feasible in practice. Federal antitrust laws strictly prohibit competing health systems from coordinating in ways that could reduce competition, limit patient choice, or influence pricing.  These laws exist to protect patients and ensure hospitals strive to provide the best care at the best value.

“An academic medical center is both a philosophy and a place,” Dr. Coopwood says. “It is where cutting-edge research, education, and patient care come together. It is where the same physicians who advance treatment options deliver direct care to patients, and where the combination of academic excellence and state-of-the-art facilities attracts top-tier clinicians and researchers from across the country.”

Regional One Health is essential to this community, and we remain steadfast in our mission to advance patient care and modernize our facilities to meet the healthcare needs of all we serve. The specialized services we provide are critical to the health and well-being of our region. However, our current infrastructure is outdated and no longer adequate to support the future delivery of high-quality, complex care. Modern healthcare requires integrated technology, flexible spaces for complex procedures, earthquake resistant construction, and environments designed around patient safety and staff efficiency.

The choice facing our community isn’t whether we can afford to build this facility – it’s whether we can afford not to. Every day we delay, we’re asking our community to accept less than they deserve. Healthcare infrastructure built decades ago cannot deliver the precision medicine, minimally invasive procedures, and integrated care coordination that patients need today.

Our vision is clear and moving forward. We are actively pursuing the creation of a modern academic medical center that will elevate the future of healthcare in our community. We are taking the next steps in our modernization journey—defining the programmatic scope and selecting an architectural firm to bring this vision to life.

As our work continues, please understand this journey is about much more than building a new hospital. An academic medical center is both a philosophy and a place. It is where cutting-edge research, education, and patient care come together. It is where the same physicians who advance treatment options deliver direct care to patients, and where the combination of academic excellence and state-of-the-art facilities attracts top-tier clinicians and researchers from across the country.

“Regional One Health’s transformative project is not only essential for improving health and wellness – it also represents a long-term investment in our economy and our future,” Dr. Coopwood says.

Every person in our community deserves access to quality, compassionate care in a modern environment. This transformative project will meet the complex healthcare needs of our region in a facility our citizens both need and deserve.

Our impact extends beyond healthcare.  This is also about economic transformation. The planning, construction, and outfitting of a $1+ billion facility is a major economic driver for Memphis and Shelby County. The Greater Memphis Chamber of Commerce’s economic impact study projects approximately 3,600 construction jobs over the 8–10 years of building, with an additional 2,300 jobs created in secondary markets that support this effort. The $1 billion investment will generate $116.8 million in combined tax revenue from construction and first-year operations alone. This is a return that every elected official or business leader should not ignore.

Regional One Health’s transformative project is not only essential for improving health and wellness – it also represents a long-term investment in our economy and our future. We will not be distracted from this critical mission. Our priority remains clear: delivering the highest standard of care in a modern environment, built to serve this community for generations to come.