Driving down Hwy 82 past the Clarksville hospital, you will see no cars in the parking lot or lights on in the building. As of December 23, 2014 the East Texas Medical Center closed its doors.
Red River County residents were hopeful that the hospital would remain open and that they would be able to reach an agreement with Paris Regional Medical Center (PRMC) to take over the facility. Unfortunately, at this time, that has not happened.
The vacant building not only means residents will have to drive to other cities for hospital care, but signifies another blow to the Clarksville economy and loss of jobs.
An agreement with PRMC may be put together in the future.