Video: The Benefits Of Having A County Owned Hospital

NOXUBEE COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – To sell or not to sell?

That’s the question surrounding the OCH Regional Medical Center in Starkville.

On Tuesday, we looked at the benefits one county is reaping from selling its hospital.

Today, we visit a county owned hospital that is finding ways to succeed.

Noxubee County has owned Noxubee General Hospital for 50 years.

Administrators say the facility benefits the area and there are distinct advantages.

There are very few county owned hospitals left in the state.

One of them is in Noxubee County.

“There are more investor owned hospitals now, than there ever were. Obviously, because there is a lot of money in healthcare, but the community owned hospitals, in my opinion, have an edge because they’re like local people taking care of local people,” says Noxubee General Hospital Administrator Danny McKay.

McKay has worked for corporate and county owned hospitals throughout his career.

“What may be good for the corporation or the business overall, may not be as good for the local community. So, when these smaller county owned hospitals, profit is not our motive, we’re non-profit, but we make decisions based on what is best for the local facility and what’s best on the patients because we don’t have investors to answer to.”

Instead, community hospitals answer to its residents.

Noxubee General Hospital social worker Katherine Mickens has worked for the hospital for ten years.

She says hospital staff try to recognize the challenges in the community and bring solutions to the table.

“Our administrator, he looks at the needs of the people in the community and he knows that there is limited transportation and he tries to bring all the services that he can.”

A seven member board of trustees, appointed by county supervisors, help make decisions about the hospital’s future.

McKay says the community helps keep the facility’s doors open.

“The first thing is having excellent medical staff is important, but also have a community that believes in and loves your hospital, and then the third thing is to have the public and the private sector that work together,” says McKay.

McKay believes if the county owned hospital has the resources it needs, it should stay locally owned.

“The only thing I think it would be feasible that would probably be a good judgement in doing that, if it’s an option of close or affiliate, close or sell.”

Noxubee General is one of the largest employers in the County.

It has 180 full time and part time employees.