OCH moving to negotiations with Baptist Memorial Health Care
OCH Regional Medical Center, after negotiations and closing, is set to be owned by Baptist Memorial Health Care.
STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – OCH Regional Medical Center has been up for sale since September of last year.
The future of OCH has been unsteady for a while.
Now, there is a potential buyer.
After the negotiation and closing stages, Baptist Memorial Health Care will be the new owner of OCH.
Marvell Howard, the Oktibbeha County District 3 supervisor, said the vote to sell to Baptist was unanimous.
“After looking at the healthcare landscape, it became apparent that given today’s challenges and complexities, the model of a county owning and trying to operate a hospital is swiftly fading,” Howard said. “The Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to move to the next phase with Baptist Memorial Healthcare System.”
During the negotiations and closing processes, details of operational commitments, staffing plans, and community benefits will be ironed out.
Howard said this decision was based on principles, not profits.
“Baptist seems to be more aligned with what we envision as health care here in Oktibbeha County,” Howard said. “It wasn’t just about the economics of funding.”
Walter Collins, an anesthesia technician at OCH, is confident the deal will be beneficial to the hospital.
“We have communication with Baptist and we think that Baptist being close by us, and they believe in what we believe in,” Collins said.
Many OCH employees may be worried about what the future of their jobs looks like.
But Howard said they have been a top priority throughout the sale.
“The employees were one of the top priorities through this process,” Howard said. “And so, we’ve got commitment that every staff member, every employee here will be retained.”
Collins said the staff is what makes OCH what it is.
“We have a great staff here at OCH,” Collins said. “And we would like to continue on doing a great job for the community.”
Howard said the sale will also mean growth.
“There has been a commitment that services will be expanded here at OCH,” Howard said.
Collins said he hopes this commitment to growth is brought to fruition.
“To grow, and we grow all together,” Collins said. “With the supervisor, with the CEO of Baptist. We continue making this a place for providing great health care for the people in Oktibbeha County.”
Howard is confident that the negotiation and closing phases will be finished during the third quarter of this year.
