County suspends RFP for new healthcare facility

At their meeting on Monday, Carter County commissioners voted to suspend the request for proposals (RFP) for an operator and lessee of the new Carter County Healthcare Facility for the period commencing January 1, 2022.

The decision came "because of new information presented to the County," according to a notice provided by the county.

The RFP has been discussed heavily since the original notice was first published on July 23. On August 9th, approximately sixty concerned citizens of the county attended the commission meeting to discuss the RFP and the operation of the new hospital facility. The vast majority turned out in support Dahl Memorial Healthcare Association.

On August 12th, several more community members attended the commission meeting to voice questions and concerns about the new facility. According to commission minutes, those questions and comments included: extending Dahl Memorial Healthcare's lease for 2-5 years, support for Dahl Memorial and CEO Ryan Tooke, support for continuing the RFP process with careful negotiations with all entities submitting RFPs, disappointment in the commissions lack of public information about the project and lease process and the seeming lack of research before proceeding with the RFP and lease, concern about the possible increase in costs of running the new facility, increased cost of medical care in the county if an outside entity leases the facility and a loss of local jobs if an outside entity were to lease the facility.

The complete notice of suspension of request for proposals related to Carter County Healthcare Facility can be found on page five of this issue.