Just because Lawrence County and Our Lady of Bellefonte Hospital are at a stalemate over the reopening of the former River Valley Health System facility doesn’t mean it is a dead issue.

Friday, October 19, 2001

Just because Lawrence County and Our Lady of Bellefonte Hospital are at a stalemate over the reopening of the former River Valley Health System facility doesn’t mean it is a dead issue.

An offer from OLBH was rejected. In most business acquisitions there will be negotiating between the two parties before a deal is hashed out. The same could be expected here.

Will the county and OLBH come to an agreement? That depends on whether OLBH officials feel it is in their best interest to pay the county’s bottom-line dollar for the facility or the county feels it can accept OLBH’s bottom-line offer.

In the meantime, other companies have expressed interest in the facility. If the county and OLBH cannot come to terms, at least there are other options.

It would be best if a provider that already has facilities in the area purchased the building. Physicians would already have privileges at the hospital and not as much recruitment would be needed.

What is in the community’s best interest, though, is that the hospital reopens – no matter what group takes it over.