Update on Hospital Reopening Effort

Mississippi-based Progressive Health Group (PHG) has contacted state and federal authorities to ascertain what it will take to reinstate licenses required to reopen the La Grange hospital, St. Marks’ Medical Center, which closed Oct. 12 because of financial struggles.

“They (PHG) have also talked with Lument, the mortgage holder, and HUD about the process of becoming the single member of St. Mark’s Medical Center. PHG has access to all of the data required for them to do their due diligence,” said St. Mark’s board chairman Dudley Piland. “The next step in the process would be for PHG to file the HUD form entitled Transfer of Physical Assets (TPA). The TPA process could take several months. If PHG decides to pursue re-opening the hospital and is approved by Lument and HUD, it will likely be the first quarter of 2024 before the hospital could reopen. It is my understanding that PHG intends to re-open the hospital as an REH and then try to stage back into a critical access facility.

“At the Saint Marks Medical Center board meeting last Thursday the board approved the right of first refusal for PHG. There are other entities that have expressed interest in acquiring Saint Marks, but PHG appears to be the most viable option to re-open Saint Marks.”

– Jeff Wick