A day after local officials announced that a plan to reopen Patrick County’s hospital had been scuttled, the company that bought the property two years ago said that it’s still considering its options and that “nothing is off the table.”
The Wednesday-night statement from Chicago-based Foresight Health drew confused responses from town and county officials.
“I don’t know what that means,” Patrick County Supervisor Brandon Simmons said Thursday. “That’s new to me. They told us that they were rethinking the whole project and probably won’t be moving forward with it.”
On Tuesday, county leaders announced in a news release that the hospital, which had been closed since 2017, would no longer reopen as planned. The community’s response to the change was characterized as disappointed but not surprised.
Foresight did not provide a reason for the change in plans, according to the release.
County Administrator Beth Simms, who sent out the release, did not respond to questions on Thursday.
Foresight bought the hospital property in mid-2022 and said that it would reopen the facility by the end of the year. As the date came and went, the company’s leadership moved the expected opening to 2023. Again, no progress was made on the project.
Foresight has also failed to pay county taxes on the property for two years, Brandon Simmons said.
Foresight Health’s statement:
“Foresight Health knows how important it is to have a hospital with an emergency room in this community. It is something that we hope to see in the future.
“Since we obtained ownership of the property formerly known as Pioneer Hospital, we have developed and considered several plans to achieve the goal of reopening the hospital. However, as 2023 turns into 2024, we have yet to develop a plan that makes sense both clinically and financially. That is, we have yet to develop a plan that we believe can provide an adequate scope of services while also being profitable. That is precisely why we did not open the hospital in 2023.
“We are considering all options now that we are in the first quarter of 2024. Nothing is off the table. We will continue to work with local officials to make something happen. Local elected officials, such as leaders like Del. Wren Williams and Sen. Bill Stanley, have been nothing but supportive since day one.
“We understand that the community is growing restless and wants answers about this project. We ask that you remain patient.”
Joseph Hylak-Reinholtz, chief operating officer for Foresight Health, said in Wednesday’s statement that the company will continue to work with local officials to make something happen. But town and county leaders have complained that communication with Foresight has been poor, often resulting in no response at all.
Stuart Town Manager Bryce Simmons said his last attempt to reach Foresight occurred Dec. 13, when he requested permission to remove signs that said “Opening 2023” from the hospital’s exterior. He also encouraged Foresight to update the community on its progress, but he received no response.
Progress updates on the project stopped coming around October.
“I would like to know what ‘nothing is off the table’ means,” he said Thursday. “They just don’t care.”
Delinquent utility bills stretch back three months, and property and real estate taxes owed to the town have not been paid for 2023, Bryce Simmons said. There has been no acknowledgement of the past-due notices sent to the company, he added.
Hylak-Reinholtz did not respond to follow-up emails from Cardinal News on Thursday morning.
His statement, however, touted support from local elected officials Del. Wren Williams, R-Patrick County, and Sen. Bill Stanley, R-Franklin County.
Williams has pushed to have the hospital reopen, sponsoring a bill at the 2022 General Assembly to preserve the former hospital’s license as an acute care and critical access hospital. The bill passed with unanimous support.
“Ultimately, Foresight is a private company with a vested interest in the success of this hospital. I hope they’re able to find that success, if possible. We’ll continue to work with any and all interested parties to bring in as many healthcare resources as possible to our aging community,“ Williams said in response to Hylak-Reinholtz’s statement.