Screven County commissioners weigh options after Optim Medical Center owners decline payment plan
Loading...
Summary
County commissioners discussed contingency plans after owners of Optim Medical Center Screven declined a short‑term county payment plan, raising questions about potential closure, county ownership, grant eligibility and a proposed study committee.
Chairman Will Boyd said owners of Optim Medical Center Screven declined the county's previous offer of a short‑term payment plan because of long‑term infrastructure costs and told the board they would respond with other terms later.
The discussion that followed centered on how the county should respond if the hospital closes. Commissioner J.C. Warren said the hospital’s financial problems are primarily the hospital’s responsibility and suggested exploring downsizing or building a new county facility: "the costs at the hospital are their problem and not the county’s responsibility," he said. Commissioner Edwin Lovett noted the existing building dates to 1951 and cautioned about the high costs of construction. County Attorney Hubert Reeves said having a local hospital is "very helpful to the citizens."
Commissioner John O. Triplett urged the board to be prepared for a closure and asked whether partial county ownership would make the facility eligible for federal or state funding. Commissioners discussed seeking grants and consultants and creating a committee to study options. Commissioner Lovett explicitly recommended forming a committee to evaluate alternatives; Commissioner Triplett suggested arranging meetings with consultants and hospital representatives.
Public commenter Michael Newton urged the county to preserve emergency‑room capacity that can stabilize patients for transfer: "we need a facility that would utilize the Emergency Room to stabilize patients and then transfer them," he said.
The board did not take a formal vote on ownership or funding at the Sept. 8 meeting; Chairman Boyd said the matter is a negotiation and that the county should wait for a formal offer from the hospital before making decisions. The board agreed to keep the topic under consideration and suggested further study and possible committee work before any formal action.
What happens next: the board indicated it would await a formal proposal from the hospital and pursue exploratory work — including potential consultants and grant research — before deciding whether to pursue county ownership, partial ownership or other arrangements.