A Mississippi hospital system is looking for a buyer. This surprise Louisiana pick may be it.

Franciscan Missionaries of Our Woman Well being System, the Baton Rouge well being care group that runs Our Woman of the Lake Regional Medical Middle and 7 different Louisiana hospitals, has cleared a preliminary hurdle to buy a Mississippi public well being care system, apparently beating out Ochsner Well being of New Orleans within the course of.

The Jackson County Board of Supervisors introduced Monday it had picked Franciscan Missionaries to purchase Singing River Well being System, headquartered in Pascagoula. The board, which oversees Singing River, had issued a request for proposals final yr for potential consumers.

The 2 sides nonetheless want to barter the deal’s phrases over the following few months earlier than it’s finalized, doubtlessly by this fall.

Ochsner was anticipated to submit a bit and had been thought of a frontrunner to accumulate Singing River, in line with stories from the Biloxi Solar Herald. The 2 hospital methods already had a resource-sharing partnership in place since 2020.

Why Franciscan Missionaries leapfrogged Ochsner wasn’t clear Tuesday.

Ken Taylor, president of the Jackson County Board of Supervisors, stated in an interview he was unable to reveal further particulars concerning the choice course of as a result of the deal has but to be finalized. He stated he couldn’t affirm whether or not Ochsner had submitted a bid.

Nevertheless, Taylor stated Franciscan Missionaries submitted “the most effective and highest” bid out of the applicant pool. He stated the board seemingly will talk about at its April 3 assembly why Franciscan Missionaries was chosen.

“It’s apparent we like FMOL as a result of we picked them,” Taylor stated.

Although Ochsner officers didn’t instantly tackle the county board’s selection, Dr. Timothy Riddell stated in an announcement they nonetheless have “super admiration for the healthcare suppliers at Singing River.”

“Ochsner will proceed our imaginative and prescient of inspiring more healthy lives and stronger communities throughout the area,” Riddell, CEO of Ochsner Northshore-Mississippi Gulf Coast Area, stated.

In an announcement, Franciscan Missionaries officers name the county board’s determination “step one in an thrilling journey collectively.”

“As one of many largest and most established healthcare methods within the Gulf South, we’re well-positioned to associate with Singing River to proceed their custom of offering entry to high-quality, compassionate care,” the assertion says. “Through the subsequent few months, we look ahead to studying extra from the crew at Singing River Well being System and the communities they serve.”

Singing River officers stated Franciscan Missionaries is dedicated to offering high-quality care to the system’s Mississippi sufferers.

“That is an thrilling day for Singing River Well being System,” Singing River CEO Tiffany Murdock stated in an announcement. “Our future with the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Woman Well being System ensures that Singing River will have the ability to meet the wants of our workers, sufferers and neighborhood members for years to return.”

Each Franciscan Missionaries and Ochsner have already got a presence in Mississippi. Franciscan Missionaries operates the 571-bed St. Dominic Hospital in Jackson, and Ochsner operates hospitals and clinics in Biloxi, Gulfport, Ocean Springs and Pascagoula, amongst different areas.

Ought to it’s finalized, the Singing River buy would add a big enhance to Franciscan Missionaries’ Mississippi portfolio. Singing River runs three hospitals, together with major care clinics and specialty facilities all through south Mississippi. The hospital system says it runs one of many state’s largest emergency departments with a mean of 100,000 sufferers per yr, and it has an financial influence of $270 million yearly.