Lee Orders Liability Protection for Health Care Providers
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Public Records & Notices Monitoring local real View a complete estate since 1968 day’s public records Subscribe Presented by and notices today for our at memphisdailynews.com. free report www.chandlerreports.com Friday, July 3, 2020 MemphisDailyNews.com Vol. 135 | No. 94 Rack–50¢/Delivery–39¢ Southwest plans expansion, new ‘front door’ on Union TOM BAILEY new home for its performing arts board member confirmed on Union from Health Sciences Park the entire block from Manassas Courtesy of The Daily Memphian programs. Wednesday, July 1. and the University of Tennessee to Myrtle but essentially turns its Southwest Tennessee Com- The Southwest Foundation, The 27,880-square-foot struc- Health Science Center. back to Union. munity College plans to transform a nonprofit board that supports ture on 2.5 acres fills an entire, While two prominent South- It offers no main entrances a closed Office Depot building into the college, is in final negotiations asymmetrical block bounded by west buildings already line Union along the avenue. a more prominent school pres- with the longtime owner of the Union, Manassas, Walnut and west of the old Office Depot, nei- And the Nursing, Natural ence on Union Avenue, a one-stop building at 785 Union, Southwest Beale. ther welcomes the public. shop for student services, and a administrators and a foundation The building is directly across The Parrish Building fronts SOUTHWEST CONTINUED ON P2 care workers who deal with COVID-19 patients each day, except in cases of gross negligence or willful misconduct. Lee orders liability protection “The law fully allows us to take this action for health care providers, so any other liability issues will have to be taken up by the General Assembly. We do think there’s urgent need to address this,” for health care providers Lee said during a press briefing at the State Capitol. Lee also said Wednesday his administration is studying the legal authority for local governments to mandate people wearing masks in public places to stop the virus’ spread as it spikes in big cities and rural areas. He stopped short, though, of saying he will seek a statewide mask mandate. “We’re seeing an awful lot of Tennesseans taking risks,” Lee said, including packing bars and attend- ing graduation ceremonies as if the state and nation aren’t mired in a pandemic. The state reported 1,806 new cases since Tues- day, a record increase, pushing its total to 45,315 with 609 deaths, 2,715 hospitalized and 28,283 recovered. A total of 817,522 of the state’s 6.9 million residents have been tested. With mask mandates the talk of Nashville and Memphis, where Mayor Jim Strickland signed an ordinance requiring masks or face coverings to be worn inside public places within the city, the gover- nor said his administration is reacting to requests by local governments where large COVID-19 outbreaks are occurring. Lee said his administration is trying to reach the point it can send students back to school and “enjoy live sports, maybe in Neyland Stadium.” Health Commissioner Lisa Piercey said during the press briefing that wearing masks is the best way to avoid contracting the virus, in addition to wash- ing hands and avoiding close contact with people. “This is not the time to go back to normal,” Pierc- ey said, making her sharpest warning yet about the Gov. Bill Lee answers questions during a news conference Wednesday, July 1, in Nashville. Lee signed an executive order Wednesday danger of the burgeoning disease. She noted until a that will create limited liability protection for hospitals, nursing homes and health care workers who deal with COVID-19 patients vaccine is available, Tennesseans will have to “learn each day. (Mark Humphrey/Courtesy of The Associated Press) to live with this.” Piercey added that the increase of cases in Mem- SAM STOCKARD phis caused some consternation about the availabil- Courtesy of The Daily Memphian the governor signed an executive order Gov. Bill Lee’s executive order will ity of hospital rooms but that the number has eased With the General Assembly failing to Wednesday, July 1, providing legal cover create limited liability protection for pass a COVID-19 liability immunity bill, for health care providers. hospitals, nursing homes and health LEE CONTINUED ON P2 INSIDE Public Records ................ 4 Public Notices ............... 14 memphisdailynews.com chandlerreports.com Marriage licenses are unavailable ©2020 The Daily News Publishing Company A division of The Daily News Publishing Company while Shelby County Clerk’s O ce Memphis, Tennessee The standard for premium real estate Established 1886 • 135th year information since 1968 reviews internal policies for its digital Call 901.523.1561 to subscribe Call 901.458.6419 for more information platforms. Page 2 MemphisDailyNews.com Friday, July 3, 2020 LEE CONTINUED FROM P1 and other facilities in what was that it could stop lawsuits filed McNally said in a statement short- But, he said: “Finger-pointing at termed an effort to stop frivolous by families who lost loved ones to ly after the Legislature adjourned members on social media because up recently. The state has a plan to lawsuits. COVID-19 outbreaks in nursing early in the morning June 19. they expressed their opinions is use extra hospital sites and to kick No date has been set, but it is homes early in the pandemic. McNally accused House lead- not a productive way to arrive at hospital plans into place to deal likely to take place after the Au- Lt. Gov. Randy McNally criti- ers of cobbling together a “cabal of an effective solution.” with a COVID-19 surge, she said. gust primary election. cized House leaders, saying many Democrats and attorneys” to kill Sexton contended the Senate The governor has not con- Lawmakers failed to pass an businesses are “teetering on the the legislation, putting the state’s turned down several opportuni- sidered travel restrictions from immunity bill two weeks ago af- edge of bankruptcy” and that one economy at risk. ties to negotiate an agreement other states yet, but New York’s ter the House declined to accept a legal judgment or an expensive le- He supports a special session when the measure failed in the travel ban includes people from deal brokered by House and Sen- gal fight could devastate business to consider that one matter and House. Tennessee. ate members. owners who have no control over said he and Senate Majority Lead- A Sexton spokesman said Lamenting the danger of the Opposition centered on a pro- the pandemic. er Jack Johnson discussed the idea Tuesday his office has “nothing disease and its effect on the econ- vision in the bill allowing it to be “The failure of the House to with the governor shortly after the new to report” on a special session. omy, Lee plans to call a special ses- retroactive to early March when pass legislation protecting our bill was defeated. With early voting to start July 17, sion for the Legislature to consider the state’s first case was detected. state’s businesses has created an House Speaker Cameron Sex- Sexton is concentrating on help- legislation providing COVID-19 Several House members who opportunity for trial lawyers seek- ton said at the time the House is ing House Republicans with fun- liability immunity to businesses, are attorneys argued that the bill ing a payday to disrupt our econ- still prepared to work on COV- draising and campaign events, the schools, hospitals, nursing homes would be unconstitutional and omy and put people out of work,” ID-19 protections for businesses. spokesman said. SOUTHWEST CONTINUED FROM P1 Sciences and Biotechnology Building, an- choring the southwest corner of Union and Myrtle, is exclusive to students in those studies. “The board got so excited because the campus has never really had a ‘front door,’ ” Southwest Foundation board member Ann Langston said. “We’ll now have a promi- nent position on Union Avenue to become a centerpiece and it lets people know what Southwest is all about. “I feel the new building and presence on Union will be key for people becoming aware about what Southwest is all about,” she added. College administrators got the idea last year for the eastern expansion of its 25- acre Downtown campus. That’s when they learned that Office Depot was closing, said Michael Neal, vice president for finance and administration. “We identified the need years ago,” Neal said. “A one-stop shop for the Downtown campus. We’ve been working on that vigor- ously for some time.” In addition to housing an array of stu- dent services and the performing arts programs, 3,000 to 4,000 square feet of Southwest Tennessee Community College plans to expand its Downtown campus into the now closed Office Depot property at 785 Union, the building will be leased to a retailer or across from Health Sciences Park. “The board got so excited because the campus has never really had a front door,” Southwest Foundation business. board member Ann Langston said. (Mark Weber/Courtesy of The Daily Memphian) The business not only would provide services to the campus’ 3,000 students, school, will share the cost of the lease with she said. Church Health. Neal said, but its sublease payments would the school. The “one-stop shop” will allow “students “… It’s a real way to open the door provide revenue. A final lease rate is still under negotia- to go seamlessly through the admissions and say, ‘Come be a part of the Southwest The college also is open to securing a tions, college officials said. process every semester without leaving this community.’ ” donor to name the building.