Java Medical Group addresses hospital employees about transition

HALEYVILLE - Officials with the Java Medical Group, the team that will now be managing day to day operations at Lakeland Community Hospital, held a department head meeting at the hospital Monday, April 2, informing them of the official news that the hospital is now under the ownership of the Haleyville/Winston County Healthcare Authority. Bappa Mukherji, CEO of Java, along with Ed Henry, chief strategy officer, and Martha McCormick, COO, met with the department heads along with Mayor Ken Sunseri, Healthcare Authority Chairperson Judy Bittinger and Attorney Jeff Mobley. Mukherji informed the department heads that the healthcare authority is now the owner of the hospital in a transition that was completed on Friday, March 30, but became official on Sunday, April 1. The ownership of the hospital by the healthcare authority means Lakeland is now a true community hospital, with efforts underway to bring back medical services from the past as well as provide additional staff for these services. Mukherji noted over the next few months, programs once offered by the previous owner Curae Health will be brought back along with additional services such as surgery, preventative care and diagnostics. The goal, Mukherji said, is for Lakeland to become a totally independent functioning hospital.