The Leflore County Board of Supervisors has voted to hire an Indianapolis-based consulting firm to assist in understanding a proposal to lease Greenwood Leflore Hospital that University of Mississippi Medical Center submitted last week.
The 4-1 open session vote, with District 1 Supervisor Sam Abraham voting no, was taken following a closed-door discussion Tuesday.
The resolution approved contracting with Bose Public Affairs Group, which specializes in business-related governmental affairs. The board agreed to a payment cap of $20,000.
After the meeting, several supervisors and the county’s administrator and chancery clerk, Johnny Gary Jr., declined to provide a copy of UMMC’s proposal.
Some said they did not have a copy, but they likely have had access to the proposal.
“This is a time in the hospital’s existence that we have never seen,” said District 2 Supervisor Reginald Moore, who was explaining why he thinks the board needs the services of a consultant. “There is language in there I want to get clarified by a health-care professional with over 40 years experience.”
He emphasized that the purpose of hiring a consultant is for education, not negotiation.
The financially troubled hospital, which is jointly owned by the city of Greenwood and Leflore County, has cut back on services and personnel in an attempt to stay afloat through the next several months. The hospital now offers limited inpatient service, no intensive care unit and no labor and delivery unit. Its emergency room remains open.
During a closed-door session earlier on Tuesday, the hospital board, which has its own outside counsel, began discussing UMMC’s proposal.
Meanwhile, Gary reported to the Board of Supervisors that on Friday he hand-delivered all documents, including a certified 2021 financial report, that were sought by certified public accountants in order to complete the county’s 2021 fiscal year audit.
He previously submitted a belated certification for the 2020 audit.
In an Aug. 18 letter to Gary and the board, the Vicksburg-based Bridgers CPA firm demanded the materials by the close of business on Friday, saying that after that time “findings will be issued and exception will be taken.”
The letter said an exception would automatically be referred to investigators in the Office of the State Auditor.
In other business, the Board of Supervisors voted to advertise for bids to provide security cameras at various locations throughout the county.
The current plan involves 45 sites where four cameras, more or less, would be installed.
- Contact Susan Montgomery at smontgomery@gwcommonwealth.com.
