Prague Community Hospital Employees Receive Paychecks, Hospital's Future Remains In Jeopardy

Prague Community Hospital employees are in the clear for now.

Friday, December 14th 2018, 9:55 am

By: News 9

Prague Community Hospital employees are in the clear for now.

Prague's Mayor Cliff Bryant told News 9 the employee payroll has been distributed as of 2:30 a.m.

Prague Hospital CEO Resigns After Announcement Of Possible Closure

Mayor Cliff Bryant also told News 9’s Chris Gilmore Friday morning, the hospital's malpractice insurance has been met which means the hospital is still technically able to treat patients for now.

However, some employees still say the hospital is hanging by a thin thread.

Employees Concerned About Future Of Prague Hospital

“It’s always been south, but we’ve been hanging on for a long time. We don’t have money. We don’t have supplies,” said Lisa Lofton an RN at Prague Hospital.

The CEO of Prague Community Hospital, Shelly Dyer resigned Thursday, citing the reason as stress. Hospital employees say this crisis couldn't have come at a worse time

“Oh my God, at Christmas! Seriously, we don’t have anything and I had to help one of my fellow employees load up food so she could pay for her, so her kids can have food. It’s not OK,” said Lofton.

Prague Community Hospital is the only one for miles in the area. It's under the same ownership as 10 other hospitals across the nation, all managed by Jorge Perez out of Florida. Perez is also the CEO of the National Alliance of Rural Hospitals.

Employees of some of those hospitals tell News 9 they're also missing paychecks.

With recent developments the hospital will stay open for now in what Bryant is calling an early Christmas miracle

Bryant says there will be an emergency City Council meeting Tuesday to address the thousands of dollars still owed by the hospital for lease and utility bills.

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