NATCHEZ — From the original bids submitted Nov. 17, the administrators at Natchez Regional Medical Center are now focused on one bidder to purchase the hospital.

And though the focus has been narrowed to one bidder, Monday’s joint meeting between the Adams County Board of Supervisors and the hospital’s board of trustees did not end in a formal recommendation as to which bidder should purchase the hospital.

Trustee President Dan Bland said the deal is just not ready to be signed off on yet.

“The fat woman hadn’t sung,” Bland said.

While the fat woman is still tight- lipped, so too is hospital CEO Scott Phillips.

Phillips said while the sale process is making excellent progress, it’s still too early to divulge any details specific to the hospital’s sale, like the bidder or price to purchase.

“Negotiations are at a delicate point,” Phillips said.

But Phillips, and those at Monday’s meeting, are optimistic.

“The headline of the meeting was, ‘We’re close to a deal,’” Phillips said.

Though members of neither board know the full details of the pending sale, Bland said he feels confident the community will greatly benefit as a result of the sale.

“It’s going to be fantastic for the community,” Bland said.

But just how long it will be before the community knows how it will benefit remains to be seen.

Phillips said a purchase agreement won’t likely be finalized until shortly after the first of the year.

One of the biggest hindrances to the process now is the abnormal holiday schedule kept by most businesses.

But no matter the timeline, Phillips said he’s very optimistic for the deal’s success.

“We’re very close,” he said.

Hospital board attorney Walter Brown was at Monday’s meeting and said the supervisors, while they’re eager to know details of the hospital’s sale, are still content without full disclosure.

“They’re still backing the administration,” Brown said. “They’ve agreed continued confidentiality is appropriate.”

While Phillips is still stressing a need for confidentiality in the process, Monday’s meeting yielded more detail than past meetings.

And that desire for confidence is not just Phillips’.

The bidder currently garnering the most attention has asked not to be publicly named yet, Phillips said.

Keeping their anonymity in mind, Phillips said, they entered a “terrific bid.”

Phillips said the bid was submitted by an “extremely well-qualified buyer,” and met the criteria outlined by the supervisors.

Those stipulations included things like the buyer’s financial stability and their commitment to retain the workforce for a predetermined period of time.

“We’re pleased,” Phillips said of the bid.

In fact, Phillips said the bid is so strong that the auction during the bankruptcy portion of the sale won’t likely be necessary.

Once the hospital has finalized a purchase agreement, the facility will file for bankruptcy.

The hospital will use the bankruptcy proceedings to repay their debts and to renegotiate unfavorable contracts.

It was approximately one year ago when the hospital announced it was experiencing financial difficulties, and Phillips was hired to correct, and ultimately sell, the facility.