Adams County’s albatross may transform into an incredible economic development swan Monday morning.

Nearly a year ago our community learned of financial problems at the county-owned Natchez Regional Medical Center.

The problems stemmed from years and years of poor management that may best be boiled down to issues of overstaffing and undermanaging.

Worries and rumors swirled about the hospital’s fate.

The hospital’s board hired outside consulting firm to swoop in for the hospital version of “Extreme Makeover.” In the process, Adams County residents learned that the hospital wasn’t bankrupt, but simply needed some TLC.

The hospital wasn’t dying; it just had a bad case of financial flu and management mumps.

Within a few months, the hospital’s management team, led by interim CEO Scott Phillips and the team of existing NRMC leaders, began turning the ship.

A few dozen staff members were cut in order to get the staff’s size back in line with the actual needs.

Deals were reworked with suppliers to ensure no disruption of services and the albatross began showing signs of new life.

Less than a year after the problems began, on Monday county supervisors are poised to consider a yet-to-be-disclosed proposal to sell the hospital — for a profit.

Although no one in the know will speak on the record about the details or officially divulge the players involved, the proposal will involve a rather unique structure.

Here’s how the deal is expected to work:

A for-profit company that owns multiple hospitals will purchase the hospital. The new buyers will enter into an operating agreement with what is arguably the best hospital brand in the region.

That brand has the resources to take the quality of healthcare in the region to an entirely new level.

Consider it like this.

Imagine if Harvard came in and said, “We’re going to run the Natchez-Adams Schools.”

Or perhaps Olympic swimming great Michael Phelps moved to Natchez to run the Natchez swim team.

Or maybe Warren Buffett begun offering free investment advice at United Mississippi Bank.

You get the idea.

That’s the kind of fundamental change that appears to be in the works.

Hopefully, when all the details come out, the public will have plenty of time to weigh in on the matter.

Ultimately, the decision on whether or not to sell the hospital remains with the citizens of Adams County with their votes casted through the members of the Adams County supervisors.

Barring some radical change in terms, the deal seems to be a no-brainer.

Time has proven again and again that when government is involved in a field typically handled by private business, things get fouled up.

Adams County no longer needs to own the hospital if we ever hope to have the highest quality of care possible.

The decision to sell seems to be the most solid play possible. The quality of players involved, however, makes the deal a home run.

Looking forward a few years, imagine the impact if the medical procedure exodus that zaps millions of dollars from our economy each and every year can be curbed and those procedures performed here in Adams County.

Imagine the impact 15 or 20 new physicians relocating here would have.

Imagine how different our view of Natchez Regional Medical Center has become in a year and how much it may improve further in another year.

Kevin Cooper is publisher of The Natchez Democrat. He can be reached at 601-445-3539 or kevin.cooper@natchezdemocrat.com.