NATCHEZ — Residents filed into the Adams County supervisors’ board room this morning, leaving standing room only, to plead with Natchez Regional Medical Center’s board of trustees to work out a deal to keep cardiologist Dr. Brad LeMay in Natchez.

Several residents addressed NRMC Chief Executive Officer Bill Heburn, NRMC Chief Administrative Officer Donny Rentfro and board of trustees members, asking that the hospital do whatever it takes to keep LeMay in Natchez.

LeMay announced Friday that he would be leaving Natchez after a failure to negotiate a satisfactory contract with NRMC.

Many of the residents said they are patients of LeMay’s or have family members that are patients. They said LeMay has given his cell phone number to patients and has made himself available at all hours to care for his patients, as well as become a significant member of the community.

Heburn and Rentfro said at the meeting that they presented a contract to LeMay that he has until Friday to sign. The main issue with the contract that was pointed out at meeting was that LeMay does not feel he has been given adequate time off. Heburn and Rentfro said that no other physician has the time off LeMay requested, and that the contract offered was in the 70th percentile, according to industry standards.

LeMay is also displeased that NRMC would not be continuing its partnership with Jackson Heart to provide call coverage during LeMay’s time off.

For the full story, see tomorrow’s edition of The Natchez Democrat.