Officials may bring in outside help for local hospital

TIPPAH COUNTY — Supervisors may bring in a medical organization to lease and operate the publicly owned local hospital.

Supervisors and hospital officials tell the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal there are no plans to sell the Tippah County Hospital.

Supervisors say a long-term lease would keep the ownership of the hospital with the county and allow the operator to incorporate the hospital into its own system.

The company could make any improvements to the facility with its own money instead of county tax dollars. The operator also could bring needed specialty services to the hospital.

Supervisors say they likely will seek proposals from several hospital organizations.

For the past five years, the hospital has been managed by Quorum Health Services, a hospital management company, whose contract expires in January.

— Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal