Singing River Health System (SRHS) is back on the market after negotiations between the Jackson County Board of Supervisors and Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System (FMOLHS) came to a halt.
The two parties made a joint decision to terminate ongoing discussions regarding the potential sale of SRHS due to a consensus agreement not being made in the months-long negotiation process.
FMOLHS was expected to take over operations this fall. The Catholic nonprofit was selected as the preferred buyer for SRHS through a request for proposal process in March.
“Our primary focus at Singing River is, and always will be, the well-being of our patients and the communities we serve. We will continue to work closely with the [board of supervisors] to help us achieve our long-term goals and ensure our patients have the high-quality care they expect from Singing River,” SRHS interim president Laurin St. Pe said.
“Throughout the entire RFP process, the Jackson County Board of Supervisors and SRHS have been very engaging and clearly committed to delivering quality healthcare to the people of the Mississippi Gulf Coast. We have been quite impressed with SRHS and the County Board’s approach to their mission,” FMOLHS President and CEO Richard R. Vath said. “At this unprecedented time of uncertainty in healthcare, we regret that both parties could not reach consensus. We wish the very best for Jackson County and SRHS in the future.”
In June 2022, SRHS’ Board of Trustees and Executive Leadership Team expressed interest in finding a new buyer for the hospital due to financial hardships experienced in the “new era” of healthcare.
The Jackson County Board of Supervisors in November 2022 officially opened the bidding process to allow interested parties to submit a request for proposal to take over the hospital with the process ending in March.
