OKTIBBEHA COUNTY – Supervisors took another step toward selling OCH Regional Medical Center with a vote to formally request proposals to purchase the hospital.

After months at the drawing board, the board of supervisors approved an RFP during its Monday meeting that outlines what the county is looking for in prospective buyers.

“We mainly want someone who’s going to continue to grow our health care system here, that’s going to be a good fit for the community and that’s going to be able to work with key players here in Oktibbeha County,” Board President Marvel Howard told The Dispatch on Tuesday.

Advertising will begin this week and continue through March 7, Butler Snow attorney John Healy told The Dispatch. There is time set aside in late March and early April for inquiring buyers to visit the hospital and conduct interviews, he said.

“It’s a two-step process, and so (buyers) have to submit something early in March to be part of the process,” he said. “… After the initial proposals, those that are still in contention, the county would then probably have interviews or let them discuss with OCH management … to fine tune their proposals, and they’ll submit a final proposal.”

The exact date for selecting a buyer is still undecided, but Healy said the board hopes to make the announcement by early May.

Supervisors voted to move forward with the sale in September after Raymond James Financial Services presented results from a feasibility study detailing the hospital’s income, revenue leakage, physician recruitment and retention, debt profile, utilization and capital expenditures.

The study recommended the board sell OCH, specifically suggesting it look for a “strategic capital partner” with a commitment to share resources, expand available services and fund capital needs.

The county attempted to sell the hospital previously in 2017, but voters petitioned against it and forced a referendum to vote against the facility’s sale. With no petitions submitted this year, supervisors have been working with Butler Snow law firm and Raymond James Financial Services since October to develop the RFP.

District 2 Supervisor Orlando Trainer said the board took input from different stakeholders, including hospital leadership, to compile the request. He said the goal is to find a buyer who is dedicated to expanding services and recruiting and retaining medical staff while working closely with local stakeholders.

“We’re not just trying to get rid of it because we just want to get rid of it. We’re trying to improve our health care,” he said. “So people that are interested will have to be very intentional about letting us know as specifically as they can about how they are going to help us improve our health care system.”

Several factors will be considered in responses, especially if the buyer has enough capital to sustain current services and support the hospital’s growth, among other requirements, Trainer said.

“We definitely don’t want to waste everybody’s time, but at the same time, there are going to be some requirements and some things that people need to know (so that) they can have access to some of the proprietary information that they may need in order to make an informed decision,” he said.

Ensuring the future buyer has the resources to fund capital needs, recruit doctors and expand services is key to sustaining the hospital’s longterm viability, OCH CEO Jim Jackson told The Dispatch.

“The whole intent of partnering with a system or finding a strategic partner is to utilize their depth of resources in order to grow OCH,” he said. “… We’d like to see the core services preserved and built upon. … But in addition to that, to consider services that aren’t currently offered to see if there’s any opportunity to grow those services as well.”

As interested buyers begin to submit proposals, Jackson said the hospital is ready to assist.

“We expect interested parties will have additional information requests and also probably desire to come out to the hospital for tours and interviews and things of that nature,” he said.

McRae is a general assignment and education reporter for The Dispatch.