Screven County commissioners vote to offer Optim Medical Center $800,000 a year for indigent care, with conditions

Screven County commissioners voted on Oct. 13 to offer Optim Medical Center $800,000 a year to cover indigent care, conditioned on the hospital’s owners performing infrastructure improvements and granting the county an option to buy the facility at a reduced rate.

Commissioner Michael McBride moved the funding offer, and Commissioner Mike Dixon seconded; the motion carried by unanimous vote. County Attorney Hubert Reeves told the board that paperwork must document indigent-care costs before the county can make payments.

The vote followed an extended discussion about the hospital’s future. Commissioner John O. Triplett opened the discussion by outlining choices including building a new facility or continuing operations at the current hospital. Chairman Will Boyd said the current owners were not interested in short-term agreements and would require a long-term commitment from the county.

Commissioner J.C. Warren suggested placing the funding question on the ballot so county voters could decide and said any agreement should list guarantees and required upgrades. The board agreed to research options and to begin reactivating the local Hospital Authority to update appointments and increase county oversight.

During public comment, Bobby Smith, chair of the Industrial Development Authority, said the IDA “cannot give money to the hospital” under current legal constraints but voiced support for keeping a local hospital. Andy Durrence (KOYO) told the commission that “manufacturing plants need hospitals” and argued the county should have input if it provides funding. Hannah Derriso urged that the hospital improve its image and hire more local staff; Judy Pitts said, “The hospital saved my life.” Mayor Preston Dees said he had received good care locally, and Brooke Collins encouraged the hospital (referred to in discussion as Optim) to increase community engagement.

The motion approved by the board included three conditions the commissioners recorded in the meeting: the $800,000 annual payment for indigent care, owner commitments to infrastructure improvements, and a county option to purchase the hospital at a reduced price. The transcript records the motion and its conditions but does not list a roll-call vote; the clerk noted the motion carried by unanimous vote.

Next steps recorded by the board include continued discussions with Optim, research by County Attorney Hubert Reeves into legal and paperwork requirements for payments, and recruitment of members to the reactivated Hospital Authority to oversee future appointments and oversight responsibilities. The board also agreed to consider voter input on funding options, as suggested by Commissioner Warren.

The board took the action after public comment and then moved on to other business; no timeline or dollar-amount commitments beyond the $800,000 figure were specified in the meeting record.