OKTIBBEHA COUNTY — Supervisors are moving forward with selling OCH Regional Medical Center to Baptist Memorial Health Care.

After a months-long request for proposals process, Board of Supervisors President Marvell Howard announced the county’s decision to move forward with negotiations at a Monday press conference in front of the hospital.

“We are excited to move forward with Baptist Memorial Health Care in this transformative process,” Howard said in a press release. “We extend our sincere thanks to the public, Mississippi State University, the Greater Starkville Development Partnership, and OCH leadership for their invaluable contributions throughout the process. Their collaboration in defining the community’s needs ensured a thorough and thoughtful decision, and we are confident that this partnership will strengthen (health care) in our community.”

Howard said during the conference that confidentiality is necessary during negotiations, but the county is hoping to close on the deal by fall.

Howard did not share a proposed sale price, but he said the county intends to come out of the deal “debt free,” in reference to the hospital’s $15.6 million debt balance. The county currently services that debt through property tax millage.

Howard also said Baptist’s proposal included a commitment to retain all OCH employees, though he did not specify a time frame on that commitment.

Jason Little, president and CEO of Baptist Memorial Health Care, said his company is honored to have been selected to acquire the county-owned hospital and that his team is looking forward to the next phase of the process.

“I am confident this decision will lead to enhanced access to high-quality health care for the region,” Little said in an emailed statement to The Dispatch. “By focusing on a shared commitment to exceptional patient care and leveraging our combined resources, expertise and strengths, we will create a legacy of sustainable and affordable health care that will benefit every person and industry in the region.
We look forward to working with OCH team members, physicians and the community to grow and improve health care services in Oktibbeha County.”

Raymond James Financial Services recommended the board move forward with selling the hospital in September, after conducting a feasibility study that indicated a “strategic partner” would help with improving hospital services, capital improvements, staff retention and more.

MSU and GSDP also endorsed the sale during a public hearing at that time.

“I would like to welcome Baptist Memorial Health Systems to the Mississippi State University and Starkville community as our new, local healthcare provider,” MSU President Mark Keenum said in a Monday press release. “Baptist Memorial Health Systems has an impressive track record of delivering quality healthcare throughout our region, and we look forward to having them provide that same top level of care in our hometown.”

In January, supervisors published a request for proposals, with both Baptist and North Mississippi Health Services saying they intended to throw their hats in the ring to purchase the hospital. In March, Howard declined to specify the number of parties that submitted proposals.

“We received some outstanding proposals from multiple health care providers,” Howard said. “Baptist was aligned a lot more with how we envisioned health care being here in Oktibbeha County, and Baptist committed to some things that we were excited about.”

OCH Regional Medical Center CEO Jim Jackson said he is pleased that a decision has been made, and he believes that working with a larger system will help the hospital continue to meet the community’s needs. He also expressed hopes that the partnership will make more staff, physicians and other resources available at the hospital in the future.

“Obviously rural hospitals are in a challenging environment, and we know that with a new strategic partner, that we will begin to address some issues and meet those challenges that we’ve been facing with renewed energy,” Jackson said. “And we just look forward. We look forward to this strategic partnership.”