GEORGETOWN - The Brown County General Hospital Board of Trustees rejected two responses to their request for proposals for purchase of the hospital at a special meeting Monday, Aug. 31.
After nearly four hours of conference calls and discussions with their lawyer, the board recommended that the Brown County Commissioners reject a request for additional time to prepare a proposal from Brim Healthcare, and a Lifepoint Hospitals Inc. proposal for a management agreement. Board President Eric Sontag said the Lifepoint proposal was not in compliance with the request the board had made following the July 30 decision to reject bids from Lifepoint and Quorum Health Resources.
“(Brim said) they did not have time to review the documents they received to have time to do a proposal,” Sontag said.
The board voted to reject the bids for a lease deal on July 30 after receiving an amended proposal from Lifepoint that included an option to purchase the hospital. Just after submitting that amended proposal Lifepoint settled a negligence lawsuit stemming from a December 2005 surgery performed at Meadowview Regional Medical Center on Aug. 16. The family of Herberta Lang filed the suit claiming that the doctor hired by the MRMC CEO was performing surgeries for which he was not qualified.
The BCGH Board passed a motion to recommend that the Commissioners reject the new Brim and Lifepoint bids. The Commissioners have said they will not take an official vote on the rejection and will leave the matter up to the Board.
“They can make recommendations to us and we make a final decision in regards to purchasing,” Commissioner Bill Geschwind said. “We did not have to participate in (rejecting the bids.)”
Michael Patterson, BCGH CEO, said making the recommendation still qualifies as rejecting the responses.
“Technically they have been rejected by the (BCGH) Board of Trustees,” Patterson said. “Stating it as a recommendation was not necessary, but it was something they chose to do.”
The board said the two remaining proposals, which were submitted by QHR and Essant Healthcare, do meet the requirements of the RFP and they will be reviewed over the next week.
“We will be giving those two due diligence,” Sontag said.
Patterson said the board has scheduled a meeting for 4:30 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 9. At that time executives from Essant will be introduced to the board and the board will pour over the details of the proposals with their lawyer. The board has already met the executives from QHR. Following the discussion, Patterson said he anticipates a decision.
“I think a decision will probably be made next Wednesday,” Patterson said.
“We’re just trying to sort out what is in the best interest of health care in the county,” Sontag said. “We’re trying to get the very best we can. I know the public thinks we’re taking too long, perhaps, but we’re trying to do it right.
