The Bamberg County administrator wants to make it clear that Bamberg County Council is not preparing to sign any deal for the sale, lease or management of the county’s nursing center.

Bamberg County Administrator Rose Dobson-Elliott said a regularly scheduled council meeting today will instead include consideration of final third reading approval to furthering negotiations with a Georgia company on all of the county’s options in paying for hospital renovations.

The county is in negotiations with Toccoa, Ga.-based UHS-Pruitt Corp.

“We’re not just trying to get money for the hospital,” Bamberg County Administrator Rose-Dobson Elliott said. She has said UHS-Pruitt Corp. also gives the opportunity to bring in a new health care provider with an “excellent reputation” in managing nursing centers and providing other long-term care services.

The council will meet at 6 p.m. in the Bamberg County Courthouse.

“We’re going to potentially enter into a letter of intent, which will bring on more negotiations for an actual sale (of the nursing center) or whatever. That will take three more readings and a public hearing. We will not be signing documents to manage, lease or sell on Monday,” she said.

“Everybody knows we’re in negotiations. This didn’t just start. This came out in the conversations when we changed the management companies from Palmetto to PHNS,” said Dobson-Elliott, referring to the ouster of Palmetto Health as the hospital’s management company during a joint meeting between the council and the Bamberg County Hospital and Nursing Home Board of Trustees in June.

Stroudwater Associates, a health care consulting firm, was hired to conduct the search process for a new management company for the hospital. During the same June meeting, the council and the hospital also agreed to contract with Stroudwater Capital, a division of Stroudwater and Associates.

What is Stroudwater Capital’s purpose? Dobson-Elliott said they have helped the county find capital partners who could then invest in, manage or buy the nursing center. She said those are among the options the county has.

The council has approved a $1.5 million bond to offset the hospital’s debts and address safety issues at the facility. Then, during an Oct. 6 meeting, the council gave final approval to an ordinance authorizing the county to access $800,000 in general obligations bonds through the state Budget and Control Board.

The federal Centers for Medicaid and Medicare has mandated that renovations be made at the hospital.

Will that money be enough to take care of the hospital safety and structural issues?

“We’re taking it one stage at a time. We may have to wind up looking at some different financing options based on the different phase we’re getting into and the amount of funding we need,” Dobson-Elliott said.

Before a release from the UHS-Pruitt Corp. was sent out on Oct. 27 naming them as the company with which the county was negotiating, the council had already given first- and second-reading approval in title only to what had been written as: “a proposed ordinance to authorize Stroudwater to advise the county administrator on negotiations regarding an ‘economic development prospect’ regarding the Bamberg County Hospital and Nursing Center.” The respective readings were made during special called meetings on Oct. 13 and Oct. 15.

“Pretty well everyone has a inkling of what’s going on. They just don’t know any particulars,” Bamberg County Councilwoman Dot Tatum said. “I feel that what council is doing is best for all of my constituents as well as the people of Bamberg County.”

Bamberg County Councilman the Rev. Isaiah Odom said the council has been working expeditiously to meet the stipulations handed down by CMS.

“What’s really rammed this thing is CMS. We’ve been trying to find money to really keep the project going. We had to have some deadline to meet, so that was the situation there. We’ve had to move as fast as possible within the ramifications of the law,” Odom said. “We didn’t want the hospital to shut down completely.”

He said the sale of the nursing center is just an option that could save county taxpayers money in the future.

“The question is if the citizens want their taxes to increase, or prefer to sell something they already have to pay for what they really need. There’s a choice to be made from that angle. We’ve really been struggling. If it had been left up to me, they would have been building a new hospital, but that’s water under the bridge now,” Odom said.

There have also been changes in the structure of the Bamberg County Hospital and Nursing Center Board of Trustees. During an Oct. 28 meeting, the board voted a new chairman, vice chairman and secretary into office.

Lou-Ann P. Carter replaces as chairman Randy Maxwell, who served as chairman for eight years and remains on the board as a medical staff employee. Dr. Danette McAlhaney replaces former vice chairman Robert Collins, who resigned from the board after nine years as the District 7 appointee of County Councilman Clint Carter. Carter is to make a recommendation for Collin’s replacement during today’s county council meeting.

Herman Brabham was elected to replace Lillian Rentz as secretary. The board also proposed changing the bylaws so that none of the individuals serving as chairman, vice chairman and secretary could not serve any longer than three consecutive years. The bylaw change is to approved at the board’s next meeting on Nov. 25.

Carter, who reserved comment on the nursing center for Dobson-Elliott, said the hospital and nursing center board were positioning themselves to become more “strategic” in the approach to the challenges being faced. She said the 2008-2009 budget is based on steady patient volumes, with a “right sizing” in staff allowing the hospital to provide quality services.

“I look forward to our continued partnership with PHNS. Randy Maxwell served as chairman in some of the most contentious times of the BCHNC. His steady and consistent nature got us through the tough times. Bob’s passion for the vision for BCHNC will be missed,” said Carter, noting that the main goal it continue providing quality health care to county citizens.

“I look forward to ... assuming the role of chairperson. I am optimistic. Although I am sure we have some challenges yet to come, I prefer to frame them as opportunities,” Carter said.

T&D Staff Writer Dionne Gleaton can be reached by e-mail at dgleaton@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-533-5534.

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