COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – The Community Health Center of Branch County is moving forward with a proposal that could result in the sale of the county-owned hospital in Coldwater to a Toledo, Ohio based non-profit health care firm. The CHC Board of Trustees last night unanimously approved a strategic partnership management agreement with ProMedica Health Systems of Toledo.
The next decision in the possible acquisition of the Health Center by ProMedica lies with the Branch County Board of Commissioners, which has the final say in whether or not the agreement is implemented. The county commission is expected to take up the matter sometime in November. Their endorsement would put the agreement in effect January 1, 2016 with a possible sale of the Health Center sometime before 2018.
CHC President and CEO Randy DeGroot last night told the hospital board the management services agreement will allow the Health Center to continue to strengthen their financial position just as they have done this year in 2015 with the added ability to access considerable resources of a larger health care system. ProMedica operates a total of 13 hospitals in Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan with 3 billion dollars in revenues.
It’s been a turnaround year financially for the Community Health Center. Last night, the Board of Trustees heard that through the first three quarters of 2015, CHC had a net income of $837,000 compared to a year ago when in September of 2014, the hospital reported it had lost more than $2.8 million for the year.
