Commissioners in Pratt County, Kan., directed their counsel Feb. 17 to withdraw a lease termination notice that threatened the status of Pratt Regional Medical Center and renewed a commitment to keep the hospital running.
The county sent PRMC a Jan. 23 notice of default and claimed the hospital owed more than $1.58 million in unreplenished rent credits, including $99,000 in unpaid rent. The notice warned that PRMC’s lease would be terminated if it failed to meet a Feb. 23 repayment deadline. PRMC disputed the default claim, and hospital board Chairman Bill Keller called the notice unexpected, saying it introduced “unnecessary disruption at a moment when collaboration, not escalation, is essential.”
The reversal came after Pratt Regional provided the county with “significant financial information” that showed the facility turned a profit in its last quarter and engaged in an approximately three-hour meeting with county leaders to highlight its progress and path forward, according to a Feb. 17 news release shared with Becker’s.
Stroudwater Associates, a consulting firm that has been aiding PRMC in creating a long-term financial strategy, also had representatives appear before the commission Feb. 17 to share added details on the hospital’s short-term financial goals. PRMC plans to continue working with both Stroudwater and the county to ensure the hospital’s long-term sustainability.
“The County reiterates that maintaining a strong, stable local hospital is important to the community’s health, safety and economic well-being,” the release said. “Pratt County remains committed to working collaboratively with PRMC, addressing outstanding questions in the community, and pursuing a solution that protects local health care services and supports the progress PRMC has made to date.”
