In a letter in The Covington News a week ago Covington Mayor Ronnie Johnston laid out some of the prospective industrial growth coming to Newton County.

He stated a movie theater, high-end grocery store, nationally-recognized sporting goods store, some upscale restaurants, Class A office space, hotels and more retail shopping could call Covington home in the not-so-distant future.

Between now and that not-so-distant future is what the mayor called “a watershed moment for Covington and we have to decide how we want to proceed.”

The economy we have been faced with is a difficult one to navigate. But it can be navigated. To strive economically in the world today, things need to be done differently and operating procedures that wouldn’t be thought of in the past have to be considered and possibly executed.

That is exactly what happened to Newton Medical Center.

After years of struggling to stay open and provide the best services to Newton County and surrounding area residents, the Newton County Hospital Authority gathered and decided it was time for some help. Previously the hospital authority had been against partnering with another organization, leasing or selling the hospital.

However, by 2014, enough was enough. The hospital authority knew that the only way to stay alive and provide what was best for Newton County was to find an equity partner.

Thursday the cover was lifted off the old way of thinking, and a new name was unveiled on an integral and historically important part of this community.

This significant asset of Newton County will not only continue to provide healthcare to its citizens but continue as a major economic presence. Piedmont Newton CEO Jim Weadick said Thursday, in remarks just before the new signs were revealed at the hospital, that a former county commissioner told him that all prospective businesses looking to move to the county would ask about two things: the county’s school system and its healthcare services.

Thanks to Piedmont and the Newton Hospital Authority joining forces, that economic driver will remain, and improve. Already, Piedmont Healthcare Services will build out the emergency room and add other services to the hospital. The news of the hospital’s 40-year lease agreement also sparked optimism among community members that financial constraints will be less prohibitive for quality healthcare.

The decision to find an equity partner for Newton Medical is already proving beneficial. Don’t stop with the hospital. Embrace the idea of doing what it takes to keep Newton County moving forward.

The projects the Mayor referenced can also prove beneficial to Newton County. But we need to do what it takes to bring these businesses here.

Let’s continue moving Covington and Newton forward. Without big—and sometimes difficult—decisions and new ways of thinking, our assets could go by the wayside and keep stagnant a community on the verge of tremendous growth.