The City of Dothan, Alabama is growing exponentially, and we are in great need of this children's research hospital for our area, state, and children population. As of now, we are supported by Birmingham, Atlanta, Pensacola, and Gainesville. All of those are great places, but they are very far and hours away. Any loving and good parent will drive that distance for their child, but why must we?

As most of us in this area knows how it can be difficult to just go 3-5 hours away when the drive can be 30min or just down the street. With all this redevelopment and building in downtown Dothan, there should also be a construction of a Children's Research Hospital. A 200-300 bed hospital (for the children), floors dedicated to research for childhood sickness, floor with doctors' offices, a parking deck can be built downtown beside it so we don't have to worry about where parking will be. Dothan, Alabama is perfectly located, we are 30min from Georgia and Florida and it will help us all.

We can work in collaboration with the above-mentioned Hospitals and better the childcare medical research in our state, area, and system. Dothan, Alabama is located 30mins from Fort. Novosel (formally Ft. Rucker) which provides both national and international population along with an honorable military population. The medical staff that works at Ft. Novosel can train here in Dothan along with providing jobs for those when they leave the military. Staffing will not be a problem because this will provide jobs with an unlimited number of talented individuals will fill.

I do propose a 1% tax increase that will strictly go towards the funding and/or building of our Children's Research Hospital. We have a medical school along with multiple nursing programs in Dothan, and this hospital WILL provide those going into Pediatrics a place to work and better their skills. There is a semi-pro soccer team coming here, and these players, coaches, and staff will bring their families along that will need care for their children. This hospital will work together with the local hospitals and the above mentioned. YES, here will be challenges; location, funding, staffing, population served, in and out of network insurances, people able to come across state lines and their insurance working, nevertheless all of this can and will be overcome. If we are the Peanut Capitol, lets do something for the little peanuts

The time is now, we CAN achieve it, we MUST achieve it, and WILL achieve it. We have all said it, now lets ACT.