Voters in Henry County go to the polls today in a special election to decide on an expanded lease agreement between Henry County Health Center (HCHC) in Mount Pleasant and Great River Health (GRH) based in West Burlington.

The two entities have been health partners for 10 years through a management agreement with GRH having operational control of the hospital while joining forces with HCHC on clinic endeavors including rehabilitation services, oncology and hematology, and labor and delivery.  In December, the HCHC board of trustees approved an expanded lease agreement with GRH to enhance HCHC’s current services and establish long-term stability for the region. HCHC CEO Robb Gardner says “This expanded relationship is a great opportunity to continue serving the healthcare needs of Henry County residents into the future.”

Under the proposed lease agreement, many of HCHC’s current ties to the community will remain unchanged including Henry County Health Center will continue to be the name of the hospital, and HCHC Foundation funds will stay within the community. If approved, HCHC providers and staff members will remain HCHC associates and retain their current benefits. It is not anticipated there will be any position eliminations resulting from the agreement.

HCHC Board of Trustees Chairman Kent Severson says, “Great River Health has demonstrated its goodwill with how they delivered a solution that helped us retain Emergency Medical Services (EMS) in the county.  This decision means continued, quality access to healthcare for everyone in the region – and a way for us to better manage anticipated challenges that lie ahead.”

Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. today. Click here for a complete list of polling locations. The measure can pass by a simple majority vote.