Hopkins County Memorial Hospital is nearing completion of an agreement with CHRISTUS. It could happen as early as Monday, April 4. In an executive meeting earlier this week, the local board addressed 11 questions to CHRISTUS. During a meeting Thursday night, nine of those 11 questions were answered but two remain.
The local hospital board has set a meeting for this next Monday at which time, Chief Administrator Michael McAndrew is optimistic that those questions will be answered and the partnership between the local hospital and CHRISTUS will be ratified.
Last September the two encountered a snag regarding Ethical Religious Directives (ERD). At that time an agreement had been expected by the end of October, 2015. No new date had been set for the agreement although March 31, yesterday, became a target date. The building of a $2-million surgical suite was put on hold. Two of the doctors that perform procedures that necessitated the additional surgical area stated they will seek to change their practices to meet the ERD agreement. The issue was tubal-ligation. The doctors have said that patients will be told upfront that if they desire a tubal ligation, it will be performed six (6) weeks post-birth and will take place in the ambulatory day-surgery area.
McAndrew told KSST News at 12:20 p.m. today, that Monday could bring a finalized agreement.
