Memphis Site Of Morning Center Pilot Maternity Hospital

Online, November 17, 2011 (Newswire.com) - Samaritan Ministries and the Morning Center said today that the location of their pilot maternity hospital will be Memphis, Tennessee.

The Morning Center plans to open this free maternity care hospital by December 2013.

After spending a significant time researching many candidate cities around the United States, Morning Center director James Lansberry says project leaders determined that Memphis best meets the criteria for a pilot location.

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Memphis is our first step," Lansberry said. "Memphis as a city demonstrated to us both a great need and a significant amount of enthusiasm and commitment from the local community to partner together to meet that need."

With the highest infant mortality rate in the nation and its high unemployment and poverty rates, Memphis is an ideal location for the Morning Center to place its first pilot hospital.

"Our desire is to join the already growing movement to improve the quality of life and care in Memphis," the director said.

Along with the announcement of the pilot location, the Morning Center is announcing a capital campaign to raise the anticipated $30 million needed to open the doors of the pilot hospital.

In addition, the Morning Center has confirmed that it will begin the process of satisfying state requirements for opening a hospital and securing a certificate of need in Tennessee.

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