The Leflore County Board of Supervisors voted Monday to begin advertising for bids from potential buyers of Greenwood Leflore Hospital.
The board approved the Request for Proposal (RFP) by a 3-1 vote, with District 2 Supervisor Robert Moore voting no.
The hospital is owned jointly by the city of Greenwood and Leflore County. No decision has been made to sell it, but the idea has been discussed in light of changes in health care laws as well as sales of other Mississippi hospitals.
Pending approval by the Greenwood City Council, the RFP will be advertised in papers across the state, according to Chancery Clerk Sam Abraham. Bids will come before the board, and the board will be able to vote on a bidder if officials do ultimately decide to sell the hospital.
Moore and District 4 Supervisor Wayne Self expressed concern over the possible sale.
Moore said that the hospital is doing fine as it is and that there is no reason for the board to go “mucking around” in the issue.
Moore said that because the hospital is one of the county’s chief employers, discussion of a sale is unwarranted.
After the meeting, he expressed another concern: “I’m concerned about the quality of health care. No private enterprise can do a better job than we can do ourselves.”
Self said it didn’t matter whether or not he thought the hospital should be sold. He said that the decision should ultimately lie with the public.
“I’m not willing to say I want to sell the hospital. That’s too big a question for five people,” he said.
Also Monday, the board:
nApproved Mississippi Valley State University’s use of the Leflore County business incubator building for free or at a discounted rate for its annual global education day. The building is across U.S. 82 from the university. The event will be held April 19, 2013, and will be open to the public. It will hold a banquet and competitions for local students, with the chance to earn prizes from the university. Proceeds from the banquet will go towards the cost of travel for MVSU students traveling overseas with the university.
nApproved accepting a $73,000 Mississippi Homeland Security Grant.
nDiscussed the best material to keep the gravel from slipping on gravel roads across the county. County Engineer Robert Willis said that clay gravel, unless contained, does not take long to disperse. He urged the board to consider wash rock, which is more expensive but also more effective. He said the county could also use sand gravel as a base and then cover the base with wash rock.
• Contact Jeanie Riess at 581-7235 or jriess@gwcommonwealth.com.
