Rumors are flying that King’s Daughters Medical Center is looking for a buyer. CEO Kristi Whitlach says they are simply not true. “I’ve heard repeatedly over the past several weeks that “all of this” is a ploy for King’s Daughters to position itself for a buyout by another health system. I want you to know that while we do and will continue to collaborate with other healthcare organizations, we are not for sale. King’s Daughters is a private, independent, not-for-profit organization controlled by a volunteer Board who are all members of this community. King’s Daughters has served the community for 120 years. Our only mission is caring for the people here. We will never enter into any relationship that does not further that mission.”
The hospital has been scrambling to add new services since the shocking announcement that Our Lady of Bellefonte Hospital was closing its doors. Whitlach said she realized it was a stressful time for OLBH employees, patients, and the community in general.
King’s Daughters Health has already hired hundreds of OLBH employees, many of whom are starting in March. According to Whitlach “We are likely to hire more people in the next two months than we normally hire in one year. We are actively looking for ways we can keep jobs locally in Greenup, Carter, and Lawrence counties. Please know we will do all we can to support local jobs in your local communities.”
She went on to say that the community could count on the hospital to do everything necessary to provide health care to the community and promised to keep the public updated as more information becomes available.
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