By ANDY GARDNER

MASSENA -- The Massena Memorial Hospital Board of Managers on Monday authorized MMH officials to file for a certificate of need from the state Department of Health.

They need the document in order to severe ties with the Town of Massena and become a private entity.

“They require a resolution from the board be in the application,” Wolleben said. “This starts the process of building a file that has to be submitted.”

The MMH board received town approval in December to start the privatization process.

Wolleben has said on numerous occasions that municipal status precludes them from merging or affiliating, which is necessary to continue receiving state and federal money.

Wolleben spoke to the Town Council on Wednesday and told them there is “a lot going on behind the scenes” to shed municipal status at MMH.

“It may not appear that much is being done. A lot of work is being done behind the scenes,” Wolleben said Wednesday. “Valuation of hospitals is a complicated analysis and I’m told it may take up to five to six months.”

He said they’ve retained the Denton law firm to help file a Certificate of Need with the Department of Health. The managing partner working with MMH is former congressman Bill Owens.

“Process of getting it together … anticipate getting initial application somewhere around the end of April,” Wolleben said Wednesday.

Once that’s filed, it “starts a clock” of public review and comment, the CEO said Wednesday.

He said the conversion expenses will be covered by a $5.8 million state grant MMH recently received.

He said they haven’t spent the money yet because they applied for several grants for different purposes are awaiting DOH clarification that they can indeed use it to cover conversion costs.

“You want to make sure when the state gives you the money you use it the way they intended,” Wolleben said.

One councilman said he thinks the changes at MMH would be a draw to new physicians and nurses, but the CSEA union head disagreed.

“There’s got to be some buzz over the process of the affiliations,” Councilman Albert Nicola said.