Thursday, June 23, 2022, 1:14 pm News Flash Archive

Greenwood Leflore Hospital announced today that it is in discussions with the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) for "joint operations" of its facilities and services by UMMC.

The hospital's full press release may be seen here: Greenwood Leflore Hospital Announces Discussions for Joint Operation of Facilities and Services

The announcement came at a joint meeting between the hospital's board of trustees and city and county officials. GLH is jointly owned by the City of Greenwood and Leflore County.

The announcement reads in part:

The Board of Commissioners of Greenwood Leflore Hospital today announces that discussions are underway with the University of Mississippi Medical Center concerning a potential agreement on joint operation of GLH facilities and services. The intent of any agreement is to preserve access to medical and surgical services for residents of the North Central region of Mississippi.

The hospital board stressed that the talks are preliminary:

While discussions have started, they are nonbinding given that there are still many difficult details to consider and any agreement would require approval of the Board of Trustees of the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning and GLH's owners.

This announcement follows several years of decline in GLH's patient census and a deterioration in its cash balance, now down to around $5 million. Expenses have continued to outpace revenue, resulting in tens of millions of dollars of losses over the past decade.

The announcement continues:

GLH, like other hospitals nationally and in Mississippi, is challenged by revenue and cost pressures relating to the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. GLH began the process of seeking affiliation partners as the hospital emerged from the Delta and Omicron waves of the pandemic.

Affiliation, particularly with a larger system like UMMC, the state's only academic medical center and largest hospital, can result in cost efficiencies that are necessary to attain sustainable operations over the long term.

In addition to financial considerations, affiliations can also enhance the quantity and quality of services provided to the residents of the service area. Potential areas for enhanced service delivery include chronic care management, remote patient monitoring, telehealth-based care and advanced/specialty care. For inpatient acute care services, additional resources can enhance the quality and availability of care.

To see our reporting on these long term issues, please click here: Index of Greenwood Leflore Hospital News Coverage

John Pittman Hey
The Taxpayers Channel

News Flash Archive