With the initial shock of NRMC’s bankruptcy announcement worn off, I can’t help but think that in a few short years, we have made a complete 360 degree circle to the same place. Let me warn you in advance though, I am not feeling as much sympathy for our leadership, as I was in my last letter.

In 2008, a much ballyhooed, behind-closed-doors sale attempt failed, with NRMC ending up with a 2009 Chapter 9 bankruptcy filing. Back then, we were told NRMC was not actually bankrupt, but the bankruptcy filing was being used as a tool to get out of some costly contracts that had been entered into for some third party services. They were quick to point out all other vendor accounts were paid in full.

NRMC emerged from that bankruptcy filing leaner, and with a newfound vitality, purportedly making money that first year out of bankruptcy. NRMC’s new vitality was short-lived. After that initial success, NRMC brought in Bill Heburn, who had worked at NRMC and Natchez Community Hospital, if memory serves me correctly, as CEO. With Bill at the helm, the good ship NRMC embarked on the voyage that has come full circle to where we are now. Very convenient for him that he “retired” just before NRMC’s most recent bankruptcy announcement.

Now, five years later, we have had another behind-closed-doors sale attempt apparently fail, which will lead to another Chapter 9 bankruptcy filing, if things go as planned at the State Legislature and the Governor’s Office.

The big difference this time is that we are told NRMC actually is bankrupt and needs protection from its creditors to remain in operation. Throw in the fact that a purported multi-million dollar settlement with NRMC’s former management company has apparently been squandered, for a little extra effect this time around.

I will be admonished for saying that the settlement money has been squandered. Some will say “that’s only your opinion, and you don’t really know that.” They would be correct. But until someone in the know comes clean about the settlement and how it was used, which I would surely welcome, I am left only with my opinion. And the next time someone spins the bankruptcy filing as a good thing, to clean things up for a buyer, I may scream. I am tired of the people who work for us, the owners/sellers, peddling that line. What about the honest vendors who may get creamed, for extending credit to NRMC?

The latest rumor is we are in negotiations with CHS, the new owners of Natchez Community Hospital, to buy NRMC out of bankruptcy. That is the biggest irony of all to me, given that I was told by a supervisor in 2008, that the Board worked hard to write a request for proposals for that sale, which excluded Community’s then parent company, HMA.

So five years later, we are hoping to sell NRMC to the parent company of the same Natchez Community Hospital that we tried to exclude from the purchase five years ago. So much for that non-profit stalking horse idea I guess. Are you feeling dizzy yet?

My final point for now is I am sick to death of the supervisors whining about not being able to get financial information out of the NRMC Trustees. The trustees even cancelled a planned meeting with the supervisors, according to the edition of The Natchez Democrat. Correct me if I am wrong, but don’t the supervisors appoint the NRMC Trustees, in effect, hire the trustees? In my business, if I hire someone, and they do not perform their appointed task, they get fired. I say it’s time for the supervisors to find a little back bone and deal with the trustees they appointed in a manner they will understand.

Who knows, they might regain a measure of the respect they have certainly lost at this point from we the people, the citizens who elected them. I guess I have gotten so dizzy I am surely dreaming now!

Chuck Fields is an Adams County resident.