BRHS negotiating team to deliver recommendation Monday | Eastern North Carolina Now

    More than just roads and lawns will be freezing over this week, if at its Dec. 27 meeting, the Beaufort Regional Health System hospital board acts on the advice of the BRHS negotiating team and arrives at a decision on whether or not to merge the hospital with a specific affiliation partner.

    The negotiating team is poised to deliver such advice at the Dec. 27 meeting, said three out of four of its members--BRHS hospital board Vice Chairwoman Brenda Peacock, BRHS hospital board Secretary Hood Richardson and BRHS hospital board member Suzanne Gray--during telephone interviews this afternoon.

    "I know our plan is to have a decision at that time," said Peacock. "We pray that it is very, very close to actually happening."

    The negotiating team will either recommend negotiating a lease offer with one of the following three institutions: Greenville-based University Health Systems of Eastern Carolina, Community Health Systems Inc. of Brentwood, Tenn., and LHP Hospital Group of Plano, Texas; or it could recommend that BRHS retain independence.

    "I don't know that independence is off the table," said Gray. "I think we are looking at all possibilities."

    In the event that the BRHS hospital board approves a final recommendation on Monday, the Beaufort County Board of Commissioners is tentatively scheduled to meet in the Superior Courtroom at the Beaufort County Courthouse Monday night at 7 p.m., "to discuss the process of reviewing the bids and the recommendation from the hospital commissioners," said Beaufort County Commissioner and Vice Chairman Stan Deatherage, in a telephone interview this afternoon.

    The Beaufort County Board of Commissioners, as acting owner of the hospital's assets, is the entity charged with making the final decision on the future of BRHS.

    "We want to emphasize that the public can attend; but will not have a chance to comment," said Deatherage.

    Since April 2010, when the BRHS hospital board began public discussions on a possible merger, a very loud, yet exclusive, faction of the public has been clamoring for a hurried affiliation with UHS. Beaufort County Commissioners Jay McRoy and Al Klemm, and sometimes Robert Cayton, similarly attempted to spur and direct negotiations; while the other four commissioners held fast to the pre-determined Request For Proposal process.

    "The process is working itself out," said Richardson, this afternoon. "The people who don't have any information need to calm down."

    If the BRHS hospital board succeeds in delivering its recommendation to the county board by Dec. 27, it will not be too far off schedule by its own standards. According to the Request For Proposals that BRHS sent to its 14 potential partners on July 21, the BRHS hospital board estimated that the 20-year lease would begin "on or about" Dec. 1, 2010. The county board, however, on June 29, directed the BRHS hospital board to deliver their recommendation within 120 days, or by Oct. 29. Obviously, that date has long-since passed.

    When the BRHS hospital board received the proposals on Sept. 9, there were four bidders. However, the offer from Brim Healthcare of Brentwood, Tenn., the fourth BRHS-bidder, to establish a management services arrangement, has been removed from negotiations.

    Richardson said that the negotiating team will have met twice with UHS, CHS and LHP Hospital Group as of the Dec. 27 hospital board meeting. He said that the terms of each institution's bid were slightly altered by each meeting, but would not expound on the exact changes.

    The BRHS hospital board met Tuesday, in a special-called, closed-session meeting, for the purpose of reviewing the revised proposals with the board's attorney, according to Director of Marketing and Public Relations Pam Shadle.

    The fourth negotiating-team member, BRHS hospital board Chairwoman Alice Mills Sadler, could not be reached for comment.
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Finally, we may just get a Long Range School Facilities Plan Regional Health System, Governing Beaufort County County Commissioner Meeting to Consider BRHS Recommendation Postponed


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Latest Governing Beaufort County

North Carolina's Rate Bureau has requested for 2024 an annual increase of 42.2%, whereby North Carolina's Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey has exhibited a great willingness to take a firm stand against such an exorbitant increase.
I reckon one could always argue that ignorance rests in the eyes of the beholder, but, I'm not taking that bet ... not in these Orwellian times, when so few of our fellow travelers know so little of what is real, and far too much of what otherwise might be terminally fake.
There were numerous local professional and educational opportunities showcased on Wednesday at the Beaufort County Job and Resource Fair.
Please click on the link to access the agenda for the Monday, February 12, 2024 City Council meeting
The Beaufort County Board of Commissioners will hold a special called meeting with the Beaufort County Board of Education on Wednesday, February 7, 2024 at 3:30 PM at the Professional Development Center located at 845 Pierce St, Washington, NC.
The Beaufort County Board of Commissioners will meet at 121 W. 3rd St, Washington, during the following times for their annual Planning Retreat:

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The Beaufort County Board of Commissioners will meet in regular session on Monday, February 5, 2024 at 5:30 PM in the boardroom located at 136 W. 2nd St, Washington, NC
This morning’s update included very minor changes to timing of today’s forecasted impacts.
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This morning’s update from the National Weather Service (NWS) included an elevated threat of severe weather, to include the possibility of tornados, as well as an increase in the forecasted wind conditions.
Our office is continuing to monitor an approaching cold front that is expected to bring high winds, elevated water levels, rain and the potential for severe storms to our area Tuesday and Wednesday. Forecast details for Beaufort County can be found below.
Please click on the link to access the agenda for the Monday, January 8, 2024 City Council meeting.

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Our office is currently monitoring the forecast of an approaching cold front that is expected to bring windy conditions, rain and the possibility of severe storms to eastern NC on Tuesday.

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