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Thursday, August 31,2017 The Baldwin Bulletin I Your local newspaper Page A9 » OCONEE REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER Navicent expected to have control of ORMC by Sept. Navicent Health WIL PETTY wil@bbnews.today The Georgia Attorney General’s Office approved the purchase of Oconee Regional Medical Center to Navicent Health, however, the transition is not complete. Georgia Deputy Attorney General of Commercial Transactions and Litigation, Wright Banks, said the transfer was approved on Monday, Aug. 21. According to the confirmation document, ORMC is a 140-bed acute care hospital with a 15-bed skilled nursing unit. The hospital primarily serves Baldwin County, as well as Greene, Hancock, Jasper, Putnam, Washington and Wilkinson counties. “Two subsidies of ORHS, Oconee Regional Healthcare Foundation and Jasper Health Services, Inc. are not part of the transaction,” according to documents. During the monthly meeting of the ORMC Board of Directors on Wednesday, Aug. 16, interim CEO of ORMC, Steven M. Johnson said the change would take place over several weeks. “What has to happen next, is there are certain licenses and permits that have to be moved, so that will take I assume a couple of weeks,” he said. ‘We are looking at a possible mid-September to a probable late-September closing.” Johnson said the two groups were sorting through who would be in charge of what during the transition, and that there had been no issues. “I think part of it is we don’t want to saddle Navicent with any long term contracts or salaries before they come in,” he said. “They want to be careful not to get too in the weeds from an operations standpoint.” Rhonda Perry, executive vice president and chief operating officer for Navicent Health, echoed Johnson’s statements and said they were preparing for the transition as well. “Right now, one of our biggest challenges is to focus on where we need to go directionally forward,” she said. ‘We are talking, communicating and making sure we keep things moving.” Perry said they plan to keep all ORMC employees who want to stay and are in good standing. So far Navicent has been holding introduction sessions with ORMC employees to make the first steps in the transition. “One of our biggest initiatives is making sure employees get to know us,” Perry said. ‘We are really talking to employees to introduce Navicent and to understand what their needs are as we shape packages.” Perry said the oper ational team is getting everything in order, so they can close on the sale as soon as possible. “Our goal is to be ready and that the employees are transitioned and taken care of,” she said. Perry said another challenge was in relation to making sure the company had everything ready to go from a technological standpoint. “The employees have been phenomenal,” she said. ‘We have just had wonderful experiences... We feel like we have a lot of people ready to do exciting things.” Navicent Health participated in an auction on Thursday, June 29 to purchase ORMC. The agreement to sale to Navicent was confirmed the following day. In a meeting with the Milledgeville City Council earlier this month, company representative and former state repre sentative Nikki Randall said Navicent would be assessing the facility and workforce and be holding meetings with various groups in the community. In addition she did say ORMC would have a new name under the Navicent leadership. “When we come in and bring the hospital under the Navicent umbrella, we want it to reflect Navicent,” she said. “What the name is going to be, I don’t know.” Letters to the Editor Mary Parham-Copelan announces candidacy Dear Editor, My name is Mary Parham-Copelan. I’m a lifelong resident of Milledgeville. I have spent 51 years of my life watching Milledgeville evolve from a small town into the city we see today. I’m known to many as Mary. I’ve been married for 10 years to my husband Charlie. I have two children - a daughter and one son, one stepdaughter, and three grandkids. My story is neither unique nor different from most. My father, stepmother, grandmother, aunts, and uncles raised me. My father taught me how to work hard and have a good work ethic. My parents had me at a young age, but they gave me so much love. It was my father that showed me how to have a compassionate heart for others. Because of my strong family ties this have made me family-oriented person. My upbringing has allowed me to see many different circumstances and situa tions that brought me closer to God, and that led me to my calling as a licensed ordained minister of the Gospel. Many affectingly call me Pastor Copelan because I’ve earned the trust and the heart of people. I’m the founder and CEO of Word of Life Interdenominational Bible Church. Being the lead servant has made me an active voice in the community as a leader who goes out of her way to be a servant first. There is no time that you will see me and I’m not serving others in whatever capacity needed. By profession I worked as a correc tional officer at the Georgia Department of Corrections Women’s Institution, where I quickly moved up the ranks as sergeant, lieutenant, captain and adjunct instructor in the training department. As a single mom, I worked hard to raise my two children by working two and three jobs while struggling to attend college to advance to the next level of life. While working with the Department of Corrections I would work at convenience stores as a cashier, Best Western Hotel as a night auditor, and at the Baldwin County Board of Education as a substi tute teacher. I’m also a Realtor by trade for 13 years. I am employed with Century 21 Old Capitol Realty. I’m employed by the Baldwin County Transportation Department as a bus operator, and Foothills Charter School as a site director Among my many job duties I still find time to be active with the fourth Congressional Federation of Democratic for Women as the second Vice President and acting Treasurer. I’m a member of the Georgia Association of Ministers’Wives and Ministers’ Widows on the local, state, and international Levels. I’ve held several positions, including: State Executive Secretary (2014-17), Key Lady Queen (2017-18) and I am the statistician for the state level as well as the community liaison. Being a part of this organization allows me to assist with various community service projects. We host an annual day of sharing which consists of feeding the Boys and Girls club, bagging food bags for Chard Way Food Bank, giving away blankets to the Dialysis Foundation for its clients, assisting kidney recipients with a donation for kidney transplant, feeding the local police a meal, assisting displaced families with food, clothes and hotel fees, and giving coats and socks to needy school children as a group effort. As a church leader and concerned clergy person I have assisted families with food, utilities, hotel rooms for battered women, and I utilized my church ministry to assist with a safe house for battered women. One of my biggest concerns is education. I have been instrumental in encouraging high school dropouts to return to school to get their high school diploma or GED, as well as, helping many of high school and college students get out of school. I’ve paid for students who couldn’t afford to pay for courses needed to complete their education at Foothills Charter High School. My desire and passion, if elected Mayor of Milledgeville is to see our city continue to move forward in a progressive manner that will restore our economic growth and development. As I have kept our town safe for many years, I want to see our city restored to the safe, quaint place of living with so much more to offer those who wish to call Milledgeville home. Sincerly, Mary Parham-Copelan Segars Continued from A4 state appropriations going towards college and univer sity operations? When did students and parents agree that mandatory student fees were supposed to fund new facilities and expand athletic programs? Who approved those requirements that students purchase expensive meal plans and on-campus housing? Are the changes to HOPE scholarship program really fair for everyone? And why aren’t institution-level policy makers reducing budgets and calling for more belt-tightening? Please don’t misunder stand. I love colleges and universities, especially during football season when I can walk manicured campuses and see new facilities. I don’t really have a dog in this hunt since both my children graduated from colleges before tuition skyrocketed. However, it’s hard to watch students in our state being saddled with unreasonable debt while the cost of higher education goes uncontrolled and unchecked. According to the Chicago Tribune, Feb. 17, “U.S. Student debt hit a record $1.3 trillion, the eighteenth straight year Americans’ education debt rose. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York data shows that outstanding loans for household debt have doubled since 2009; no other form of household debt has shown such an increase. About a quarter of student debtors with loans due are in default or at least ninety days late on their payments.” There are a number of factors that could explain the continuing rise of tuitions to include the expanded availability of federal money. There are also strong arguments that the state should contribute more and that institutions hire too many adminis trators with lofty salaries rather than classroom professors. There was once a time when a large portion of students’ tuition could be paid through summer jobs, part-time employment and college work-study programs. Higher education in Georgia was affordable and a good value. At the rate we are going, higher education will be limited to the most affluent families or those willing to take on loans of $100,000 or more in their early 20s. Here’s something for consideration, especially if you have concern about the future of our young people both here in Lake Country and around the state. Instead of questioning elected state officials about the all the reasons that tuitions keeps rising, start asking this: “What is being done to lower the cost of higher education for our college students?” If no satisfactory answer is provided, perhaps it’s time for us to consider electing those who will stop the rise in tuitions, espe cially the parents of college students. Then maybe the fleecing will stop. NTRODUCING GEORGIA’S LAK COUNTRYl_ ALTH & FITN AGAZINE All Local Content! Reserve your space now! Call Vicki Parker Office: 706-454-1290 Email: Vicki@msgr.com
