SRHS Opens Board Meeting to the Public

It was a historic day in Jackson County. For the first time, the Singing River Health System Board of Trustees opened their monthly meeting to the public. This was a day that those in attendance say is a step in the right direction towards bridging the gap between the hospital, retirees and the general public.
For decades, Singing River Health System leaders met behind closed doors. But that all changed today when the hospital opened their monthly board meetings to the public for the first time ever, a new requirement that all public hospitals in the state must now uphold after the transparency bill passed in April. This is a bill that Singing River Health System retiree Irby Tillman stood behind to make sure hospital officials would always be held accountable for their actions. “We took three trips to Jackson, the retirees did, we took three trips to Jackson and voiced our opinion and yes this is a victory.”
It was a day of victory and a step in the right direction that even had Jackson County Supervisor Randy Bosarge excited. “Thanks to our legislators, our local legislators and legislators throughout the state, now the hospital has to be open and transparent. This is a historical date. I mean, I wasn’t going to miss the first meeting for nothing.”
Maybe for the first time ever, Jackson County representatives, retirees and Singing River officials all agreed on one thing, the day was a successful one. Richard Lucas with Singing River Health System said, “I think people find out that these board meetings are not always that exciting but they are informational and in that way, I think it was certainly productive.”
During the first open meeting, no public comment was allowed but it could be a possibility during future meetings. This is an idea Tillman says retirees look forward to in hopes of better understanding how the hospital plans to give them their pension.

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