VIDEO: Potential OCH Sale Takes Hostilities to Social Media

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – Tensions remain in Oktibbeha County regarding the potential sale of OCH Regional Medical Center.

What some say is hostile talk against the sale has moved from town hall meetings to social media.

One county supervisor took action, she says, to prove she’s being truthful.

Liar, Delusional, Desperate, these are a few of the words used to describe Oktibbeha County Supervisor Bricklee Miller on her social media page.

The question is ‘why so hostile?’

To prove, in part her innocence, Miller took a polygraph.

“The emphasis had gotten off the facts and become about the attack, so I felt it was time that we just needed to clear the air,” said the District 4 Supervisor.

Miller shows us results from her polygraph after accusations that she is accepting money in exchange for misleading citizens on information regarding the possible sale of OCH Regional Medical Center.

“I met with attorney Mike Espy at his office, and I met with a former FBI agent. He gave me six polygraph tests,” said Miller.

Which is four more than the normal test requirement.

Some may see it as extreme, but Miller sees it as necessary to defend her integrity.

“…and he said you scored the absolute highest you can score, which is a .01,” continued Miller.

We tried to get residents to talk about these hostilities seen on social media about the upcoming referendum on whether to sale the hospital, many opted out of talking.

However, some gave an indication on how they’d vote.

“OCH has always existed for the good of this community, and it’s always made choices for what is best for this community. It knows its limits, and it knows its possibilities. It does a fine job with healthcare in Starkville,” said resident, Pastor Stacey Parvin.

While everyone has an opinion, Miller says she hopes voters will make an informed decision on what the two hospitals have proposed.

“They’ve already promised to retain employees and grow the services. They already guaranteed for the minimum that after they take all of the bond debt off, that’s off the citizens and off of the hospital, that we will have a minimum of $25 million to put in the bank,” said Miller.

While everyone has a right to an opinion and to cast a ballot, Miller says she hopes residents can have civil discussions because the end goal is the same, a better Starkville and Oktibbeha County.

If you’d like to see the results of Supervisor Miller’s polygraph test yourself, she recently shared it on her professional Facebook page.