Martin County has filed a $10 million lawsuit against health care giant CHS, accusing the corporation of abandoning its legal obligations to run Martin General Hospital.
The federal lawsuit stems from the August 2023 closure, when a CHS subsidiary abruptly filed for Chapter Seven bankruptcy and shut down the Williamston facility. Local officials say the sudden closure stripped more than 21,000 people of their only acute care hospital, wiping out $33 million in regional economic activity.
While the legal battle plays out, local leaders are fighting to restore medical services. The state legislature recently allocated $25 million to ECU Health to help revive the site as a specialized Rural Emergency Hospital. However, officials estimate a full restoration of regional care could cost up to $220 million.
Congressman Don Davis is petitioning Washington for federal relief, warning that the lack of local emergency care is already putting lives at risk during long ambulance transits.
