Hospital leaders could entertain offers to lease Allen County Regional Hospital, but they doubt such a plan would work.
A task force is examining whether to continue a management contract with Hospital Corporation of America (HCA), an arrangement that has been in place since the new building opened in 2013 but is up for renewal. Task force members say they want to study all options, including whether to return to a lease arrangement.
A lease agreement would require another entity to assume the hospitals financial risk but would take away local control, said Alan Weber, Allen County counselor who advises the hospital board. Board of trustees members seemed intrigued by the possibility of a lease, but worried a healthcare company wouldnt want to take over the $26.5 million in outstanding debt incurred from building a new hospital.
