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Two of Jefferson Parish's most valuable public assets, its hospitals, are looking for help in the form of private company to lease the properties and take over operations. The Parish Council is set to choose a company Thursday to run East Jefferson General Hospital and West Jefferson Medical Center.
The most money would come from HCA, the Nashville, Tenn.-based conglomerate that runs 162 hospitals, including Tulane Medical Center in New Orleans, Tulane-Lakeside Hospital in Metairie and Lakeview Regional Medical Center in Covington. It offers $537 million in lease payments and would pay property taxes.
Louisiana Children's Medical Center offers Jefferson $406 million. It owns Children's Hospital and Touro Infirmary in New Orleans and operators LSU Interim Public Hospital in New Orleans. It has an agreement with the state to run University Medical Center in New Orleans when the complex is completed in 2015.
Ochsner Health System offers Jefferson $372 million. Ochsner owns eight hospitals under its own name, including five in the New Orleans area.
Money is not the only factor at play, however. Regardless which company is chosen, Jefferson would cede some control over its hospitals. The three competitors vary in how the public would be represented in their governing structures.