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Agreement for St. Lawrence Health to manage, supervise Massena Memorial still under review

Posted 6/20/19

BY ANDY GARDNER North Country This Week MASSENA -- The state is still reviewing a draft agreement for St. Lawrence Health System to manage and supervise Massena Memorial Hospital, MMH interim CEO Pat …

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Agreement for St. Lawrence Health to manage, supervise Massena Memorial still under review

Posted

BY ANDY GARDNER
North Country This Week

MASSENA -- The state is still reviewing a draft agreement for St. Lawrence Health System to manage and supervise Massena Memorial Hospital, MMH interim CEO Pat Facteau said Monday.

They have a temporary agreement in place, and both the hospital and town boards passed resolutions in May agreeing “to the concept of (MMH) entering into a management and operations agreement with St. Lawrence Health System.”

“They (Department of Health) keep saying next week,” Facteau said.

David Bender, CEO of St. Lawrence Health System's Gouverneur Hospital, has sat at the table with the MMH board during their May and June meetings.

St. Lawrence Health has been reviewing MMH's finances. The Town of Massena released a statement last month saying the hospital is in bad financial shape, citing “significant and unsustainable operating losses.”

The financial analysis and draft management agreement are the result of a letter of intent the town and hospital entered into with SLHS in late March. It made SLHS the sole potential affiliate for MMH. Just before that, the hospital board ended their contract with Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center. That effectively fired Charles Gijanto from MMH, who was splitting his time as CEO of CHMC and MMH. It also ceased the MMH board's affiliation talks with Crouse Hospital.