Things are happening at the Key West hospital, which could be under new management in the next few years. Or the same company could still be running the hospital, but under a revised lease agreement that’s more suited to the community’s medical needs.
The year 2029 brings the end of a 30-year lease under which the Tennessee-based company Community Health Systems, CHS, has operated Lower Keys Medical Center on College Road, its affiliated doctors’ offices as well as its mental health and substance abuse treatment facility at the former dePoo Hospital on Kennedy Drive.
Now, after more than a year, a group of concerned residents has convinced the local hospital district board, whose members are appointed by the governor, to seek proposals from different potential hospital operators who want to run Lower Keys Medical Center rather than simply renew the lease with CHS and be tethered to that company for another 30 years.
Thanks in large part to the efforts of a citizens fact-finding committee, led by residents Peter Batty, John Padget and Spencer Krenke, with involvement from Key West City Commissioner Sam Kaufman, the Lower Florida Keys Hospital District Board agreed to hire consultants from Akerman, LLP to help draft a Request for Proposals and seek responses from companies that are interested in running Key West’s hospital come 2029.
The current hospital operator, CHS, last year pledged to make significant investments in and improvements to Lower Keys Medical Center, but only if the board renewed its lease immediately, without issuing an RFP or considering proposals from other entities.
At a meeting in March 2024, local“Why are they only willing to put money in when it comes time to renew the lease, when they should’ve been willing to do it for the past four or so years?” local Dr. Michael Klitenick said at a meeting in March 2024.
The early lease renewal didn’t happen and CHS will now be welcome to submit a proposal in response to the RFP that will be issued early next year.
Right now, consultants from Akerman are working with the hospital district board and with the fact-finding committee to begin the process of drafting the RFP, which will set forth what services and technology the hospital operator must offer.
The aging building on College Road is also an issue. A complete renovation or replacement of the facility will likely be needed, and the local hospital board will soon hire an inspector to complete a structural and architectural survey and inspection of the premises that will be included in the RFP.
So, things are happening with the hospital, and potential “suitors” that want to run Lower Keys Medical Center could be responding to an RFP in the next six or so months.
In addition to the current operator, CHS, other health care entities that have expressed preliminary interest include Baptist Health, Mt. Sinai and Tampa General.For updates about the hospital lease process, visit ohkw.org. Our Hospital Key West is an advocacy group created by resident Spencer Krenke.
