In a 3-2 vote on Monday morning, the Oktibbeha County Board of Supervisors approved to hire the law firm of Butler Snow as an advisor on the prospect of selling the Oktibbeha County Hospital Regional Medical Center.
"Everything turned out fine," said Board president Orlando Trainer. "The board passed on a 3-2 vote to hire Butler Snow to help us develop an RFP as relation to lease, sale, possible transaction or affiliation of some type of change with the hospital."
A RFP is a request for proposal document. Whether or not the hospital will be sold has yet to be voted on, and the Board hopes that hiring Butler Snow will help them with the decision-making process.
Butler Snow will ultimately aid supervisors in the process of deciding whether or not to vote on accepting bids on the property moving forward. Trainer also said Butler Snow will serve as a bond counsel during the process.
He then said having a more stable process moving forward should be a positive sign for those employed at the hospital or looking to relocate to OCH.
While hiring Butler Snow could represent a big step forward in determining the future of OCH, the issue has remained a contentious one.
Opponents argue that bringing in legal counsel - regardless of the outcome - could leave the future of some jobs in jeopardy and deter new employees from coming on board due to future uncertainty.
Oktibbeha County Hospital CEO Richard Hilton told the SDN on Monday that the topic of employee retention came up at Monday's board meeting and is a concern that is already impacting hospital staffing.
"(Hospital staff) don't know if they are going to lose their jobs, and doctors don't want to uproot their family and come to a place that could change ownership," he said.
Hilton said two physicians have already expressed that they would not stay on at OCH and some employees have already left.
"We don't need that cloud hanging over us for an indefinite period of time," he said. "We need to get back to doing what we need to do."
Trainer said he has heard concerns from both sides and believes the county should explore all of its options.
"We don't want to get in a situation where we have to do something and we realize we aren't prepared," he said. "We need to explore that, put out the RFP and give people the opportunity to respond."
In late January, a petition was given the green light by state officials that would allow local residents to vote on the future of the hospital. The signatures have yet to be submitted to the Board for vetting.
OCH public relations director Mary Kathryn Kight told the SDN on Monday that the petition has received well over 1,000 signatures that will be presented to the Board at the appropriate time.
"OCH is the community's hospital, and the petition provides an avenue for the citizens of Oktibbeha County to let their voice be heard," she said.
Butler Snow did not return requests for comment.