REDA rationale

The city still has to adopt its REDA resolution before it can happen, but the MDA will meet Tuesday and has agreed to review the application then, Brown said.

The county will argue that the hospital’s sale should be considered an economic development project because it would consolidate the local healthcare market and help bring in new doctors, including specialists the area currently doesn’t have, he said, and likely would result in the construction of a new hospital in the near future.

CHS recently purchased NRMC’s in-town competition, Natchez Community Hospital

“The sale would also enhance the delivery of health care at reasonable costs and at high quality by consolidating the two and being the only hospital in town, and by being able to present a united front from a marketing standpoint rather than being several entities in competition with each other,” he said.

The sale would likewise be presented as an opportunity to save hundreds of jobs, Brown said.

The state has certified approximately 20 REDA applications since the program was started, Rent said.

Once the MDA has given its approval, the attorney general’s office will have to sign off on the REDA application before it is approved.

The federal bankruptcy court overseeing NRMC’s bankruptcy case would likewise have to approve the sale before it can move forward.