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Community Concerned Jay Hospital To Be Closed, Merged, Leased Or Sold
April 27, 2011
[First On NorthEscambia.com] The town of Jay is abuzz that their hospital is about to be closed, sold or merged with another — and town officials along with the hospital’s advisory board have called a meeting for Thursday to address the public’s concerns.
“There are so many people hearing different things and are not sure what’s going on,” said Dr. David Smith, a Jay Hospital physician and advisory board member.
Baptist Health Care of Pensacola leases the 55-bed Jay Hospital from Santa Rosa County to operate as a non-profit community hospital. Baptist is considering a request to the Santa Rosa County Commission that would alter the 99-year lease and allow them to merge or negotiate with Health Management Associates of Naples, Florida, according to Smith. HMA operates the Santa Rosa Medical Center in Milton.
“They want to strike out the word ‘non-profit’, and that’s not keeping with the present lease,” Smith said. “We are concerned that if it were to be run as a for-profit hospital by another hospital 30 miles away, due diligence might mean that some services like the laboratory could be moved to Milton. Or they could possibly even close the emergency room.”
The doctor said that consolidation with the Santa Rosa Medical Center and operation by a for-profit company could leave Jay Hospital looking like less than a medical facility, and “that would not serve our county very well”.
“We want to find out what is going on,” Jay Mayor Kurvin Qualls said Tuesday afternoon. “We still don’t know anything from Baptist.”
Qualls said the town has scheduled a public meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Jay Civic Center for members of the Jay Hospital Advisory Board to address the town’s citizens. “We want to know more than just the rumors,” he said.
“Baptist Health Care and Jay Hospital have enjoyed a strong relationship for over 30 years and Baptist has no intentions to sell or close this hospital. Jay Hospital’s success has been accomplished through a quality medical staff, supportive community, and effective management,” Liz Adams, Baptist spokesperson, said in a written statement released late Tuesday afternoon to NorthEscambia.com.
“Baptist Health Care is always committed to collaborating with hospitals in the region to meet the health care needs of our communities. Jay Hospital is an important part of Baptist Health Care and we are committed to its success,” Adams continued.
Adams declined to discuss if Baptist Health Care was seeking any change to the hospital lease or any possible agreement with HMA.
Smith said that if Baptist does seek to offer another party a lease on Jay Hospital, the advisory board wants 90 days to evaluate it and “help select our new managing partner”.
NorthEscambia.com was unable to reach a spokesperson for HMA late Tuesday afternoon. Jay Hospital board members declined comment, citing confidentiality agreements with Baptist Healthcare.
Jay Hospital serves not only Jay, but other communities in the area including Century, Flomaton, Chumuckla and other portions of North Escambia.
Comments
24 Responses to “Community Concerned Jay Hospital To Be Closed, Merged, Leased Or Sold”
It is amazing that the DEA and FDLE raid Dr. Smiths office Hours before the town meeting took place isn’t it?
As for wow Jay has a tag office its next to the library at the south end of the building. I got a tag there a couple of months ago. As for the proude Atmore hospital employee you have lost your focus. Its not about pitting Atmore hospital and Jay hospital both hospitals are very good. Its about mixing a non for profit hospital of Jay and a for profit hospital of Santa Rosa. Baptist health care knows that it is a breech of contract and they will break it. Baptist health care board of trustees and there lawyers have already met and its a done deal Baptist health care will keep it tied up in the court system for years because of its huge resources. Or they will pay a couple million in fines and recoup ther loss in other areas. just watch the news its happening in big and small cities through out this fine country. its a dog eat dog world and a rough ride it is. Baptist health care has though this through very carefully or they would not have done this so fast as they have done. Anyway you go it will be a rough ride with the trickle down theory. Sad but true.
Baptist Healthcare has used Jay Hospital to fill their bank accounts. Now they want to make even more money from Jay to pay for the “new” Baptist hospital. Go to the baptist health care website and look at the new construction going on, and guess who is paying for it THE PEOPLE AND PATIENTS OF JAY HOSPITAL!
It’s time to cut ties with baptist and let the current physicians and staff of Jay Hospital run things and keep the money in JAY!!!
big corporate has there eyes and guns on this hospital becoming theres and shut down ..all those employes ,,jay could not handle the unemployment rate ,,,so long for the secured jobs ,,this whole sector is going to hell in a handbasket and all we can do and stand there and watch it blow up so many lives will change for the worse ,, crime will rise,and love for one another will disapate quickly leaving only chaos ……..get ammmo while you still can . because sooon u aint buyin no ammo …PERIOD!
i have just 1 thing to say about the comment from “no name”-AMEN!!! i agree 100%!
I would just like to point out that the fact that which Hospital (Jay vs Atmore) is not even the case at hand right now. I’m sure that employees and citizens of each community feel that their facility is the best. Why was Atmore even brought up in this discussion? I would also like to point out that each of these facilites is owned by Baptist Healthcare, therefore instead of all this ridiculous bickering about which is best, you should be working together and have each other’s back. Whatever happened to “commitment to co-workers”? The real people to blame are the ones at Baptist Healthcare. I guess they are forgetting the real Mission of their company, which is “to provide superior service based on Christian values to improve the quality of life for people and communities served”. Instead they feel they can just pawn Jay Hospital off to the first company that comes along.
Yes, I understand that Jay Hospital isn’t as big a facility and doesn’t have some of the resources as others, but it is still a LIFE-SAVING facility. I guess some of you don’t realize the number of lives that this facility saves each and every day. The people of the Jay community and surrounding areas depend on Jay Hospital and I think that changing the way it is or potentially closing it would be detrimental to everyone.
As for all of you on here that continue this nonsense of bickering back and forth at each other, you need to sit back and think about the real picture here. What would you do if you needed emergency care and the nearest facility was 50+ miles away? I bet then, you would be wishing Jay Hospital was there for you. Whatever happened to communities supporting each other?? Instead, now all they want to do is fuss at each other about irrelevant things.
The people of the Jay Community (including myself) will stand UNITED as they ALWAYS do in every situation. I am proud of my community and will support it. We would all appreciate a little support from our surrounding communities as well.
All this bickering over which hospital is the best has nothing to with closing either of them. Our great government has cut Medicaid and Medicare drastically. These small hospitals are mostly visited by people with these medical coverages. Hospitals are businesses with huge overhead. You will see more small hospitals that close or partially close services. Its coming..
@ belittled and others.. now where in the article did it say the hospital would close, nor which is better, etc.
The concern and discussion is around the change of the terms of the lease, ie; striking “nonprofit” from the lease, changing “community hospital” to “healthcare facility” and putting in other changes.
In most eyes this constitutes a material change of the contract therefore, the county should consider an RFP (REquest for Proposal) and open the opportunity up for Sacred Heart, West Florida or any other hospital to have the opportunity to put forth a proposal other than just Baptist/HMA.
Jay can handle change, however citizens have a right to be concerned due to potential changes in care, and how this will effect the economy of our town since it is one of our largest employers.
Jay will never be better than Atmore. Thats a fact. Close Jay. Sorry but things happen for the better and the better is closing of the hospital. Atmore has it together and I mean together. The staff at Atmore are the best and I will always use Atmore.
hmmm. well.. ive been to both, and I have to say Jay wins by far (over atmore). so much that we actually live 5 minutes from ACH and anytime possible we opt to go to Jay. Sorry, but ACH doesnt, nor hasnt in some time, had there act together. I vote Jay takes over Atmore!!!!!!!!
My first concern: if Jay Hospital closes then most of the employees will lose their jobs. If someone is having a heart attack or trouble breathing they tell you to get to the nearest hospital. if they close jay hospital the 3 nearest hospitals brewton, atmore, and milton are all 30 mins away. what happens then , someone losing their life. the people that are running the selling/ buying jay hospital they are not worried about who they hurt or how many people lose their jobs. they are just out for them selves making that money. our economy sucks anyway and you gonna put this hardship on us like this. and what makes me mad mad is the spokesperson for jay hospital will not talk to the press or news or anybody about this situation. Are you scared? You afraid of losing your job? well….. i think you should because you are not standing up for no body, nobody. you are not worried about employees patients or how it would effect the community. shame on you…..
JAY HOSPITAL NEEDS TO STAY OPEN, SO MANY PEOPLE NEED THIS HOSPITAL,NOT EVERYBODY CAN GET TO OTHER MEDICAL FACILITYS,BREWTON IS 12-15 MILES AWAY ATMORE IS FAR AWAY AND PENSACOLA IS WAY TO FAR, THE DIFFERENCE COULD BE LIFE AND DEATH FOR SOMEONE,OK SO ITS A SMALL HOSPITAL,THE STAFF REALLY CARE ABOUT PEOPLE,AND YOU GET THAT ONE ON ONE,ATTENTION,SO PLEASE KEEP THINGS GOING.
This is not a debate as to which hospital is the best. I’m sure that ACH gives excellent care just as Jay does. I use Jay, though, because that is where my Dr. is. For those of us that go to Jay for care, we could potentially lose services such as lab, x-ray, physical therapy, not to mention the ER. We need to stand with the citizens of Jay on this! I encourage everyone to attend the meeting to learn the facts from Dr. David Smith and the other members of the Jay Advisory Board.
HMA is a management company out of Naples, they like to manage and buy hospitals. That equates cost efficiency. If more efficient to run a lot of the operations out of Santa Rosa hospital they will. $$$ what matters to them!!
I have never gone to the one in Atmore, but I have gone twice to the one in
JAY and I will say this. It was CLEANER than the last time I stayed in
one one in Pensacola. I was very impressed with the care both
times for my loved ones and I was also impressed with the fact
that they served a lunch bar and I think it was like $2.00 or something,
don’t quote me on that it was many years ago, but they were wonderful
caring people and I believe this would be a great loss to community.
I hope they beat this and stay open somehow.
To two cents worth….yes there was a greenlawn hospital in Atmore.they tore it down and built the one you have now. I use to live over that way for years ago.
Something else to think about is the jobs that would be lost. With a bad economy, this area does not need any more hardships.
Atmore Community Hospital used to be called Greenlawn Hospital just like the old Greenlawn Pharmacy that was across the road..
TO MISSYSMOM
IT WOULD BE A LOSS TO CLOSE YOUR HOSPITAL. BUT WAIT A MINUTE BECAUSE I WORK AT ATMORE HOSPITAL AND I AM PROUD TO SAY THAT. MY HOSPITAL IS A GREAT PLACE TO WORK WITH CARING EMPLOYEES. THIS HOSPITAL HAS COME ALONG WAY. BAPTIST HAS THE BEST VALUES. THE MAIN CONCERN IS TAKING CARE OF PATIENTS. THAT IS WHAT WE DO AT ATMORE. ACH ROCKS AND WE STAND STRONG FOR OUR COMMITMENT TO OUR COMMUNITY.
No Greenlawn Hospital in Atmore only Atmore Community Hospital also associated with Baptist out of Pensacola.
There is only one Hospital in Atmore and it is Atmore Community Hospital. I have lived here for 10 years and there has not been a Greenlawn Hospital here.
Jay Needs The Hospital to stay OPEN!!!!!!!! Dr. Smith Work Your Majic !!!!!!!!!!!
The hospital in Jay is a far better hospital than Greenlawn in Atmore. What a loss this would be to everyone in surrounding communities.
I know I call it the bandaid stop but we need it!!! For sum things! They are taking everything away from our end of the panhandle and its not fair..we have lost a school and tag office what’s next?