Sometimes the common good overcomes the individual preference.

Such appears to be the case with Natchez Community Hospital’s decision to withdraw their objection to Natchez Regional Medical Center’s plans to reopen a heart catheterization lab.

NCH had filed plans to open its own cath lab and was in the middle of the legal process to argue that it, not NRMC, should be allowed to open the cath lab under Mississippi’s certificate of need laws.

Opponents of NCH’s objection will argue that the hospital withdrew after realizing it might not win the argument. Only their leadership will know for sure of their reasoning for both starting the objection process in the first place and later withdrawing their claim.

Regardless of the cause, the move is a great one for the community. Our area needs to keep building its health care offerings and improving cardiac care options are a great place to start.

If the management of both hospitals can bury their hatchets wielded by previous hospital leaders, the entire community will be better off because of it.

We choose no “side” when it comes to health care, though from time to time, we have encouraged supervisors to act appropriately on behalf of county-owned NRMC due to the heavy debt it owes and the potential liability it has for taxpayers.

But we’re excited to see what may be a great stepping off point for a renewed focus on working together rather than against one another.

If that happens, patients win and that, not profit or self-interest, should be the driving force behind health care.