The Aug. 10 article in The Natchez Democrat with the headline, “In Natchez Regional Medical Center deal, Adams County is left…Needing a cash infusion,” seemed to raise questions as to whether or not the proposed sale of NRMC will actually happen.

Scott Phillips, NRMC’s sales consultant, stated that in the post-bankruptcy period, everybody believed the issue of cash flow was under control until July. Yet board attorney Scott Slover stated, “The hospital is losing money and has been losing money.”

One potential is to get some creditors to wait 60 to 90 days for their payments. I am sure plenty of creditors will line up to offer their assistance in that regard. NRMC Trustee Lee Martin said the hospital will need $1.5 million to get to closing, and that amount should be removed from the escrow funds for the sale closing. Of course that means less escrow money to pay all of the attorney and consultant fees. Maybe we could ask the lawyers and consultants to wait 60 to 90 days for their money?

Phillips was quick to throw cold water on that idea, stating in an email he was concerned the community might lose the buyer if they went back to them on the escrow. It seems the trustees are now butting heads a bit with their own sales consultant. Kind of poetic justice if you ask me.

The article quoted the United Mississippi Bank line of credit balance as $1.5 million, which is secured, and rightly so. They would have had to close the doors already without that. However, Supervisor David Carter stated in a Top of the Morning article on July 22, that NRMC had paid down nearly all of its $3.5 million line of credit at UMB. I guess $1.5 million fits into his definition of “nearly all” being paid down.

In regard to the recently announced employee pay cuts, Phillips stated, “The hospital is taking some aggressive steps that four months ago could have been less aggressive (if they had been taken at that time).” Let’s see, how long now has Phillips been involved in this latest effort? Far more than four months, so why didn’t he act sooner?

Also, in regard to the employee pay cuts, I would like to know who exactly put forth that idea at this point in the proceedings? In other words, was that a request from the purchaser, so they would not look like the bad guy coming in with a pay cut right away? But that is just another of the many questions for which we will likely never get answers.

There seems to have been a concerted effort in print from several sources, attempting to thwart any possible petition drive to put the proposed sale on a ballot as a countywide referendum. They cite the costs of a ballot referendum, and the delay causing additional losses for the hospital, which might jeopardize the sale going through.

I feel that most of this was likely aimed at me, and it kind of makes me feel good to think I might have made them a little nervous. But they can all rest easily, I have neither the time nor the inclination to try and rain on their sale party at this point. By what I am reading recently, they all might rain on their own sale party with no help from me. But that does not mean I will stop asking for accountability for the millions of dollars that have not been accounted for.

And despite Dr. Bruce Kuehnle’s suggestion a while back, I will not be congratulating or thanking any of the trustees or supervisors for the good job they have done here. I believe they have all been hoodwinked by slick talking lawyers and consultants. Just my opinion.

 

Chuck Fields

Adams County Resident