Kansas county withdraws hospital lease termination notice, commits to keeping it open
Commissioners in Pratt County, Kan., directed their counsel Feb. 17 to withdraw a lease termination notice that threatened the status of Pratt Regional Medical Center and renewed a commitment to keep the hospital running.
The county sent PRMC a Jan. 23 notice of default and claimed the hospital owed more than $1.58 million in unreplenished rent credits, including $99,000 in unpaid rent. The notice warned that PRMC’s lease would be terminated if it failed to meet a Feb. 23 repayment deadline. PRMC disputed the default claim, and hospital board Chairman Bill Keller called the notice unexpected, saying it introduced “unnecessary disruption at a moment when collaboration, not escalation, is essential.”
The reversal came after Pratt Regional provided the county with “significant financial information” that showed the facility turned a profit in its last quarter and engaged in an approximately three-hour meeting with county leaders to highlight its progress and path forward, according to a Feb. 17 news release shared with Becker’s.
Stroudwater Associates, a consulting firm that has been aiding PRMC in creating a long-term financial strategy, also had representatives appear before the commission Feb. 17 to share added details on the hospital’s short-term financial goals. PRMC plans to continue working with both Stroudwater and the county to ensure the hospital’s long-term sustainability.
“The County reiterates that maintaining a strong, stable local hospital is important to the community’s health, safety and economic well-being,” the release said. “Pratt County remains committed to working collaboratively with PRMC, addressing outstanding questions in the community, and pursuing a solution that protects local health care services and supports the progress PRMC has made to date.”
The post Kansas county withdraws hospital lease termination notice, commits to keeping it open appeared first on Becker’s Hospital Review | Healthcare News & Analysis.