Owen County Memorial Hospital Heliport

The heliport was closed because its associated facility, the Owen County Memorial Hospital, ceased all operations and shut down due to financial insolvency. As the heliport's sole function was to serve the hospital, its closure was a direct and necessary consequence of the hospital's failure. This falls under economic reasons tied to the viability of the primary institution.

The heliport is permanently closed and defunct. The site of the former Owen County Memorial Hospital, including the grounds where the helipad was located, was acquired by the Owen County Fiscal Court. The old hospital building has been repurposed and now houses various county services, including the Owen County Health Department and other community agencies. The physical helipad, which was a simple ground-level concrete or asphalt pad, is no longer marked or maintained for aviation use and is now simply part of the property's grounds.

The Owen County Memorial Hospital Heliport was a critical piece of infrastructure for providing advanced medical care to a rural community. Its primary and only function was to support Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS). The heliport allowed for the rapid transport of critically injured or ill patients from the small community hospital to larger, more specialized tertiary care centers in cities like Lexington or Cincinnati. It was used exclusively by air ambulance helicopters and was essential for time-sensitive medical cases, such as trauma, cardiac events, and strokes, significantly improving patient outcomes in an underserved area.

There are zero plans or prospects for reopening this heliport. Its function has been made permanently obsolete by the construction of a new medical facility in Owenton. A modern hospital, St. Elizabeth Owenton, was built at a new location (1100 US-127) and includes its own new, fully operational heliport (St Elizabeth Medical Center Owenton Heliport, FAA LID: 1KY1). Therefore, there is no need for the original heliport to be reactivated.