Leaders are charting steady course

When in troubled waters, steer a steady course.

That’s what the leadership of Jay County Hospital seems to be doing.

Though faced with significant fiscal challenges, there’s no sense of panic on the part of the hospital’s board of trustees or administration.

Instead, they’re keeping a firm hand on the wheel.

In January, the hospital hired a consulting firm — Quorum Health Resources — to help leadership figure out what happens next.

Significantly, the board rejected a company whose focus was solely on selling the hospital to the highest bidder. Instead, there seems to be a sincere attempt to chart a different course of action.

What that course of action might be has not yet been determined.

Ideally, the hospital would be able to get its revenue mix back in order so that the money coming through the door exceeds the money going out the door.

If that can’t be done, then tough questions will surface involving “collaborating” or “partnering” with a larger hospital group. Even sale of the hospital will be on the table.

And that raises a host of questions.

As we understand it, the hospital — as a subdivision of county government — belongs to the county, and county government would have to sign off on any sale.

Where would the proceeds from such a sale go? Maybe to the county, maybe to an endowment or foundation of some sort. All of that is very much up in the air.

The good news is that no one is rushing toward a decision. Dozens of meetings will be held over the next several months, and those involved seem determined not to make a quick decision.

They want to make the right decision. — J.R.