The next step toward transitioning Erlanger Health System from a governmental entity to an independent nonprofit organization will take place at next week’s Hamilton County Commission meeting.
Commissioners will vote on a resolution requesting that the Hamilton County legislative delegation propose an amendment to the private act that established Erlanger Health System as it exists today.
The resolution seeks to allow the county to evaluate whether the continued operation of Erlanger Health System as a hospital authority – which is a public entity governed by a politically-appointed board of trustees – is “an effective or beneficial governmental function.”
If the county determines it isn’t, the resolution requests permission to dissolve the authority so that Erlanger would be “owned and/or operated by a non-governmental entity to promote the provision of high-quality health care services for years to come.”
Two weeks ago, Hamilton County and Erlanger officials announced they had been working for nine months in private on plans to restructure the health system as an independent nonprofit in an effort to level the playing field with the system’s private competitors.