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State Agency Wants Century’s Last Doctor Out Of Old Hospital
October 12, 2015
A State of Florida agency has ordered the last doctor in Century out of a former hospital he’s leased since early 2006.
In a letter dated August 26, Century Health Care Access (CHCA) and Dr. Christian Bachman, president of CHCA and physician for Mayo Street Medical, were ordered to vacate the old Century Hospital facility by the end of September by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, current owners of 25,000 square foot building on Mayo Street.
“I don’t understand why they (DEP) have done this. We had a 50 year lease on the building, and received a 30 day notice to vacate. Even if we wanted to leave, we couldn’t do it in that amount of time. With the Hope and Health Clinic just closing in Century, and no other doctor in town, CHCA and Mayo Street Medical can’t depart without leaving hundreds of people without vital medical care. This is wrong.” Located just across the street, the non-profit Health and Hope Clinic shut down on October 1 due to a lack of funding.
While Bachman is the only doctor that practices in town on a regular basis, Baptist Medical Group, formally Century Medical Center, operates a primary care facility in Century that is staffed by nurse practitioner Georgia W. Agrait, GNP.
In the letter to Bachman, Cheryl C. McCall, chief of the Bureau of Public Land Administration Division of State Lands for DEP, wrote that the eviction was due to a violation of lease terms due to violations of Florida Life Safety Code and National Fire Protection Code.
In addition, DEP’s letter said CHCA had violated other terms of the lease, including:
- Purpose — the leased premises shall only be used for the establishment and operation of a health care facility
- Unauthorized Use — the lessee shall prevent the unauthorized use the leased premises or any use in violation of the lease
- Right of Inspection — the state or representatives have the right to inspect the leased premises
- Insurance Requirements – the lessee must maintain fire, extended risk and liability insurance naming the State of Florida as co-insured.
- Maintenance of Improvements — the lessee must maintain the property and an improvements in good condition.
Century Health Care Access acquired the lease for the Old Century Hospital in 2006 when a concerned group of citizens from Century formed a not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing medical care to the community of Century and surrounding areas. They now host Mayo Street Medical, a family medical clinic which opened in late 2014 with Dr. Bachman at the helm, and previously hosted Century Family Practice, which closed in late 2013.
Bachman said the practice now provides primary medical services for hundreds of patients throughout Escambia and Santa Rosa counties. He has a reputation for seeing patients regardless of their ability to pay, and he’s even known for making house calls.
“We have had a very difficult time,” said CHCA Office manager, Mary Gilson. “It is hard to run a medical clinic in an area where many people have Medicaid or are uninsured. We are struggling anyway, and if we lose the building we lose our ability to stay open. We can’t afford to move locations even if we had another location to move to – and we don’t. The people of Century desperately need us because many simply can’t afford to go elsewhere. I understand that the government has rules, regulations, and procedures, but evicting us now is madness.”
The letter from DEP gave CHCA until noon on September 30 to vacate the building. Now that the deadline has passed, there’s no concrete answer from DEP as to what their next step may be.
“The department is determining its next step,” Lori Elliot, press secretary for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection told NorthEscambia.com in an email on Friday.
“They will have to send in the sheriff to drag us out of here. We have a commitment to our community and to our patients,” Allison Mills, Bachman’s director of nursing said.
Pictured top: The former Century Hospital, constructed in 1965, on Mayo Street in Century. Pictured inset: Dr.Christian Bachman at his desk in the medical center. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Comments
23 Responses to “State Agency Wants Century’s Last Doctor Out Of Old Hospital”
It seems to be all the greedy doctors tuck tail and run,while the REAL ones, that CARE if the patient actually lives,or has a better quality of life, are RAPED by the federal government. I pray that Dr. Bachman and his staff are allowed to remain and carry on God’s work. Healing a person, helping a person, giving when you know you will receive NOTHING IN RETURN, that is truly God’s work. SHAME ON THEM FOR THIS POLITICALLY MOTIVATED ACT OF MEANESS.
When one is only paying $1 per month for a building lease, the money that would be used for rent (say $1500 per month) should be set aside for maintenance, repairs and replacement costs. This doctor wants the building and the maintenance free. He wants to keep all his profits while he’s plays on the compassion in the community.
I have worked with Dr Bachman at the Health and Hope Clinic and he is a very carering person, if every doctor cared as much for their patients as he does we could see more people heeled and not just medicated
If all people in the north end of this county doesn’t stand together against what these rich dogs are trying to do we might as well lay down and die now.
The correct pronunciation is Backman.
Dr Bottman is mine and my husbands family Dr and we love him and his nurse and his secutary. He is a very good Dr and a very good caring Dr. We love them he talks to me as my pysysrics and I think that the community needs to reach out and help him do whatever it takes to keep the office up and running. It is hard to find a good Dr around here that will take the time to listen and care for you like he does around here. So they need to let the good Dr keep up his good works and let him be…. We loose our Dr we have nothing or nobody to fall back on. Thanks for any help we can all do!
@chris:
Bcuz they are rich! LOL!
A lease is a contract.
I bet Dr. Bachman and all the involved in negotiating said lease can also read.
Notice that Dr. Bachman does not dispute the lease violations listed in the letter from the DEP.
I support Dr.Bachman… how can the community help our doc?
What is needed to keep it open? If the DEP owns the building shouldn’t they maintain it? Century is there space in some of the buildings owned by the town? The property tax increase you approved would be better spent here than on a frivolous splash pad wasting valuable resource. Rethink that decision. Make a decision solve a problem. If moving the desks, tables equipment is a problem enlist the community.
@Mike: why is it the “rich folk” who have to dig deep? That would seem discriminatory, to say the least. @just tired: since the good Dr. appears to be white, (based on the picture in the article), how did race get dragged into it? By your logic, shouldn’t the white Dr. be the oppressor, and not the philanthropist?
If that building is poor why doesn’t the doctor find a new sight. He knew what was required. The Century business challenge had a space. There is a nice empty building on north 29 by the auto parts store. There is room in the industrial park. Renovate an old home and start a practice there. Perhaps he can go to work for Babtist with the Nurse Practioner. I’ve seen a CNP for years and like them just fine for primary care. Economics runs a lot of the county practices. The town council can only do so much. They are not God and Daddy. Churches are the prominent business around Century. I challenge them to lobby District 5 County. If the poor people can’t get services it may be time for them to migrate to the other areas.
Sounds like some rich folk need to reach deep into their hearts & bank accounts & help the good doctor out.
When I lived in Century many years ago, Dr. Bachman was my physician. He was a wonderful, caring, man. More interested in my health and healthcare than if I could afford to pay. And back then his fees were totally reasonable. I have nothing but respect for this man, and am so sad to hear that he has to vacate. Hopefully someone will see beyond “big” government and help this man keep his practice. Century needs all the help they can get on many issues, and people in Century deserve decent and affordable medical care.
Dr should abide by the terms of his lease.
So let me get this straight, First the Hope and Health Clinic is closed due to lack of funding, a clinic providing free medical care to the needy, And after just a few weeks now were looking at losing Dr Bachman who I might add volunteered at Hope and Health. Dr Bachman is the only Canadian I have ever meet and when they say Canadians are nice its an understatement. He came to Florida to help communities like ours and now their just pushing him out. Hope Century will be happy once theres no health care left in our “community” guess people will start having to go out of town for medical treatment. Dirty politics as usual expect no less from are less than liberal government.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but Century Health Care Access is not a non-profit. It’s a for profit business just like the one I own in Century. No one is giving me a 50 year lease on a publicly owned building just because I give away some of my products/services to benefit the poor (and I do…thousands of dollars per month).
No one gives Baptist Healthcare a state building for Agrait and their clinic to operate.
If he’s not a legal non profit, he should play by the same rules and face the same financial necessity as the rest of us and play by his sweetheart of a deal lease.
So sad. No transportation provided for the people who live in Century to get to the medical clinics in the south of Escambia county.,(once or twice a day bus doesnt count. What are we supposed to do, go sit for 12 hours). Its time North Escambia residents took control and did something about this. Wonder if there are any lawyers out there, willing to fight for us?
This is so ridicolous This man is who helped me with my epilepsy and actually cares bout his patients If this happens Karma will be released. People need to worry bout the shootings instead of people trying to help others Dr Bachmann is a wonderful guy.
Dr Bachman provides a much needed service to the residence of Century and surrounding areas! To prevent him from doing his job, you are putting the community at a loss. Century is being held together by a group of strong people, including Dr. Bachman…if he is forced to leave, you are shutting down a vital part of Century! People need to think about the smaller communities before they make their decisions while sitting behind a desk at the Capital!
It is so sad that the residents of Century have lost all of the things that most towns should have; and did have at one time. You would think that we should be progressing instead of moving backwards. I have lived in Century my entire life and have witnessed us as a town lose our Hospital, schools, Escambia County Health Department, Court service (yes we use to have court in Century), driver license office, tag and tax office, Doctors offices and is threatening to lose our Post office. I am amazed that, to my knowledge, I don’t recall our town council fighting for the residents to try and keep any of these things. I really haven’t see any thing that the council has done to improve the quality of life in Century. I can’t help but to think that all of this has something to do with the racial make-up of the town (56% black, 39% white ) and how we are viewed by the powers that be (those controlling our local government and local funding. I guess they won’t be satisfied until we have lost everything.
Why does the goverment help the poor people?/ its such a shame that this doctor wants to help the poor and he gets a slap in the face.century has alot of needy people and that was the last place they could go for help.not everyone has a way to go to jay or pensacola or even onsurance.its not fair to the people. i wish there was something someone could do. maybe protest like they do up north.its always take care of the rich and let the poor be poor.so sad its like this.why cant the county open something up there.they got plenty of money they have wasted over the years.god bless you doctor
I support Dr. Bachman. Century continues to get the shaft from County and state government. I think it is high time for the town of Century to stand up for itself. We are a community and we need our doctor. So what do we do perhaps make a human chain around the building if they try to drag the doc out? I know it sounds dramatic but honestly they already closed down our schools, and health clinics.
Once again the state of Florida flexing its mussel and keeping the little man down.