Dave Boucher

USA TODAY NETWORK - Tennessee

When leaders of Nashville General Hospital told city leaders they needed millions of dollars more than initially anticipated, many in the public seemed to choke at the idea of throwing more money at the already heavily subsidized hospital.

But that request, and especially the angry reaction to it, is emblematic of a lack of attention paid, both by lawmakers and the community at large, to North Nashville, said Metro Councilwoman Erica Gilmore and her mother, state Rep. Brenda Gilmore.

“I don’t think it has anything to do with health care, it’s just the general perception. When you see the cranes all over the city of Nashville, they’re everywhere with the exception of North Nashville,” said Brenda Gilmore, a Nashville Democrat and leader of the House Black Caucus.

“It’s just the general perception of all people. I’m not going to say racism, but it would be much better if we accepted each other for what we are and who we are.”

Both Gilmores, who live in and represent different portions of North Nashville, say the community has fought for years to get more help at General and other local institutions. At times they've fought back against unwanted developments: state Sen. Thelma Harper, for instance, is well known for her battle in the early 1990s to close the Bordeaux dump site during her stint on the Metro Council.

Nashville General sits at a crossroads

But with development in other communities comes gentrification, notes Edwin Sanders of the Metropolitan Interdenominational Church.

"The inner city is becoming radically different all the time. The dynamic of gentrification has probably impacted everything in what maybe traditionally had been the character of the inner city community,” Sanders said.

Ever since Nashville General took over Hubbard Hospital at Meharry Medical College in 1998 it's been the go-to location for a North Nashville community that's traditionally been more economically disadvantaged than other parts of Nashville. Data provided by the hospital shows that 32 percent of the hospital's patients in 2015 were indigent, and 51 percent of those who seek help are black.

The Gilmores believe the hospital's clientele and location, in addition to what they consider inadequate funding and leadership issues before CEO Dr. Joseph Webb arrived, have created a perception problem.

"In the past, I think the city has really been a little negligent in providing the same type of support services in the way of building development as it has in other parts of the city,“ Brenda Gilmore said.

They also agree that an expansion of services General provides to the community, as well as continuing to educate the public about those services, would help.

One way the hospital could afford to serve more patients, both for primary and emergency care, would have been through the expansion of Medicaid or Insure Tennessee, the Gilmores said. The Democrats lamented what they consider a lost opportunity to get much needed federal funds to support a place such as General that plays a big role in serving Nashville’s low-income community.

Erica Gilmore appeared with Mayor Megan Barry at a news conference Friday, where the mayor announced an independent company will lead an assessment of the hospital's finances and leadership structure. Gilmore applauded the decision.

An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated the year Nashville General took over Hubbard Hospital at Meharry Medical College.​

Staffer Holly Fletcher contributed to this report.

Reach Dave Boucher at 615-259-8892 and on Twitter @Dave_Boucher1.