Jennie Stuart official mum amid questions about hospital’s future

CEO Eric Lee, commenting after the hospital board met Thursday, said he could not provide details of the group's discussions but might have details to release in the near future.

Jennie Stuart Health board members concluded a roughly two-hour, private meeting Thursday without releasing any specific information to address community speculation that the Hopkinsville hospital will be sold in the face of financial challenges. 

“We had a routine board meeting today,” Eric Lee, the hospital’s CEO, told Hoptown Chronicle after board members had left the hospital. “I don’t have any details I can release. I may have some details in the near future after we have some subsequent board meetings — but it was a routine board meeting today and I have no information out of any of the discussions that I can share at this time.”

eric lee
Eric Lee

Jennie Stuart Medical Center is a private, not-for-profit community hospital licensed for 194 beds. Historically, its board meetings have not been open to the public. However, in light of intense interest among hospital employees and local residents concerning the hospital’s future, Hoptown Chronicle asked to be admitted to the meeting. The request was denied.  

Lee acknowledged he is aware of a “tremendous amount of rumor out in the community” but said he doesn’t comments on rumors. He declined to say if there is any truth to speculation that Jennie Stuart will be sold or merged with another hospital. 

“Obviously our board is involved in a lot of strategic plans and we are looking at a lot of things to plan for the future. But I can’t make any comment … about specifically any of the rumors.”

Asked if a substantial change involving ownership could be finalized before community members have a chance to weigh in with the decision-makers, Lee said board members are volunteers who do represent the community, but the business of the hospital is conducted privately.

hopkinsville hospital exterior
Jennie Stuart Medical Center is an acute-care hospital licensed for 194 beds. (Hoptown Chronicle photo by Jennifer P. Brown)

Pressed on whether a sale is even in the realm of a possibility, Lee responded, “I think discussions about the ownership fall into the sphere of pure speculation at this point.”

It is unclear when the hospital board will meet again. The board normally meets once a month, and Lee said the board leadership would decide if a special meeting is conducted prior to the next regular meeting in October. 

One member resigned from the hospital board during Thursday’s meeting. Joseph Sisk, a Christian County farmer who also serves on the Planters Bank board, told Hoptown Chronicle he did step down from the hospital board but said he was reluctant to publicly discuss the details of his decision at this time. 

“They are a really good group of folks, and they are having to deal with some tough stuff,” Sisk said of the other board members. 

He added, “For various reasons right now, that is a situation I decided I was going to step away from for a while.”

The remaining board members are chairwoman Leslie Carroll, secretary/treasurer Charles Turner, Carter Hendricks, Dr. Tarek Toubia, Dr. Matthew Robinson, Marty Bozarth, Betsy Shelton, Steve Tribble, Hollis White, Dr. Alissa Young and DeeAnna Sova.

Board members signed non-disclosure agreements several months ago, at least two sources have told Hoptown Chronicle. The NDAs reportedly are part of discussions between Jennie Stuart and Deaconess Health System, which is based in Evansville and has hospitals, clinics and medical groups in Indiana, Kentucky and Illinois. 

Jennifer P. Brown is co-founder, publisher and editor of Hoptown Chronicle. You can reach her at editor@hoptownchronicle.org. Brown was a reporter and editor at the Kentucky New Era, where she worked for 30 years. She is a co-chair of the national advisory board to the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, governing board past president for the Kentucky Historical Society, and co-founder of the Kentucky Open Government Coalition. She serves on the Hopkinsville History Foundation's board.