City of Greenville taking steps to buy hospital
The City of Greenville has announced it is taking steps to purchase Regional Medical Center of Central Alabama.
In a statement, city leaders say a Letter of Intent has been executed with Frey Medical Management to begin the management process and pursue the overall purchase of the hospital.
The hospital, which had been known for years as L.V. Stabler Memorial Hospital, has experienced challenges.
As Action 8 News reported in November, the hospital announced that it would lay off 90 employees and end inpatient care as it restructured its operations. The hospital said at that time it would file an application with the State Health Planning and Development Agency to convert itself into a rural emergency hospital.
That had some people worried the hospital was in the process of closing. Following the announcement, Greenville Mayor Jae’Ques Brown released a statement on what was happening, saying in part, ““Rural county hospitals across the entire state of Alabama have been suffering for years due to financial strain, staffing shortages and declining inpatient utilization. This is not just a Greenville issue, this is a statewide rural healthcare crisis.”
In the latest statement, Greenville leaders say several conversations have taken place among city leadership, healthcare partners and stakeholders to identify a sustainable path forward for maintaining local access to comprehensive medical services.
They say this plan will allow Regional Medical Center to remain a full service hospital, while also helping to retain jobs for our current employees who are vital to the care of our residents. They say preserving a full service facility is essential to meeting the healthcare needs of Greenville and the surrounding area.
Mayor Brown and the Greenville City Council say they are pleased to welcome Frey Medical Management and look forward to working together to support a stable and sustainable future for local healthcare.
The City says it will continue to provide updates as the process moves forward.
