June 1, 2022 – SRHS Pensioner Memo

Important News to Share from Tiffany Murdock, Interim CEO

TO: Singing River Health System Pensioners
FROM: Tiffany Murdock, Interim CEO, Singing River Health System
DATE: June 1, 2022
RE: Important News to Share

Dear Singing River Health System Retiree,

I am writing today to share some exciting news. As a part of Singing River Health System’s ongoing commitment to our mission to improve health and save lives in our community every day, the Board of Trustees today voted to pursue a fully integrated model or sale with a like-minded healthcare organization that will invest in and grow our system.

We are committed to providing high-quality care for patients in the communities we serve in Jackson County and along the Gulf Coast. We collaborate with great partners every day to ensure we are meeting the diverse needs of our community. We have found that through these partnerships and working together – we can achieve more. Our Board and Executive Leadership Team continuously evaluate partnerships and collaborative efforts to ensure the success of our health system for years to come.

Over the last decade, the healthcare industry has continually changed, with community hospitals like ours facing the strongest headwinds. The Board of Trustees and Executive Leadership Team is singularly focused on doing everything possible to secure the best future for local healthcare while managing the complexities of a constantly evolving healthcare industry.

What This Means to You

A fully integrated model is just one way we can ensure we are able to continue the pension funding commitment. By building on our history of successful collaborations with other health systems, we have more opportunities for growth down the road that will position us for better financial stability.

Nothing changes today. The next step in the partnership exploration process is for our Board of Trustees to present a resolution to the Jackson County Board of Supervisors on June 6th. If the Board of Supervisors votes to approve the resolution, they will move forward with a formal statutory process related to the potential sale or other full integration of Singing River, which includes holding a public hearing on the issue. Singing River has an existing partnership with
Ochsner Health, and Singing River expects to engage in negotiations with Ochsner Health early in, and as part of, the formal process. If the sale or full integration process proceeds beyond the public hearing, the formal process will also include the Board of Supervisors pursuing a formal request for proposals from other health systems that may be interested in submitting offers that are higher and/or better than Ochsner Health’s offer. If a sale or other full integration occurs, the Singing River assets will be sold to or fully integrated with the highest and best bidder that is
identified during the formal process.

We anticipate knowing more within the next few months and are committed to keeping you updated as the process moves forward. We appreciate your continued support of Singing River. Please do not hesitate to reach out with questions or thoughts to share.

Sincerely,

Tiffany Murdock
Interim CEO
Singing River Health System