Board of Supervisors approves lease with Forrest Health on Pearl River County Hospital

During Wednesday’s meeting of the Pearl River County Board of Supervisors, the Supervisors approved a resolution to sign the lease with Forrest Health to operate the Pearl River County Hospital and Nursing Home located in Poplarville.

Before the vote was taken, District 3 Supervisor Hudson Holliday asked to make a statement about his decision to vote for the resolution for final approval after voting against other board actions leading up to the lease become finalized.

“I’ve voted against this lease twice and I’d prefer to have local control (of the hospital).

Our responsibility is to ensure that we have stable, financially secure health care in this county from one end to the other. We’ve got to have health care in this county; we cannot grow our county without it. I’ve convinced that this is a good deal financially for the county and hopefully it’s going to be a good deal medically,” Holliday stated.

Holliday (pictured) said that he knows this is going to uproot some folks, change some people around who may have to look at other venues of employment, but he feels this is best for the whole county.

“Forrest Health is going to lease this hospital and It’s incumbent on me to support them in every way that I can to make sure they are successful so that we do have stable health care and an emergency room, mainly, in Poplarville, Mississippi,” he added.

“I’d be dishonest if I voted against something that I know down deep is the best thing for this county. And so in that vain, I vote with you.”

The board unanimously voted to move forward with the signing of the lease.

With the action taken by the board and a subsequent approval by the Pearl River County Hospital Board early Wednesday evening, Forrest Health will take over the operation of the Pearl River County Hospital and Nursing Home effective February 1st.

Forrest Health currently operates five hospitals in south Mississippi: Forrest General Hospital in Hattiesburg, Highland Community Hospital in Picayune, Marion General Hospital in Columbia, Jefferson Davis Community Hospital in Prentiss, and Walthall General Hospital in Tylertown.

The Pearl River County Hospital and Nursing Home has faced many financial hurdles in the past few years and this move will eliminate debt owed by the hospital and increase the quality of health available due to the plethora of services and resources Forrest Health has in the region.