Supervisors to review OCH RFP Monday

The Oktibbeha County Board of Supervisors will review a request for proposals (RFP) for the possible sale or lease of OCH at its meeting Monday at 9 a.m.

The Board voted 3-1 to draft an RFP during a meeting on March 20, with District 1 Supervisor John Montgomery, voting no and District 3 Supervisor Marvell Howard, a longtime proponent against the hospital sale absent.

The RFP will be presented by OCH consultant Ted Woodrell and Butler Snow attorney Samuel Keyes.

“We're going to take it under consideration, and decide which way we need to go,” said Board of Supervisors President Orlando Trainer, one of the most vocal supporters of a possible OCH sale or lease.

Trainer said the RFP would give time and information for people on both sides of the sale or lease of the hospital, and emphasized that no action on the matter had been taken yet.

“I can stress that there has not been a final decision made, because it's not time to make a final decision,” Trainer said.

According to a presentation given at the March 20 meeting, the entire RFP process would take between six and 18 months, depending on the timeframe set by the board at various phases.

The board would also have to approve a resolution prior to moving forward with any sale or lease of the hospital.

Trainer said while OCH has long been an asset for Oktibbeha County, he felt the hospital had grown as much as it could under county control.

Hospital CEO Richard Hilton was unavailable for comment as of press deadline Friday.