Hutcheson, Erlanger reach tentative lease deal

Erlanger at Hutcheson

Leaders with Hutcheson Medical Center and Erlanger Health System have formalized their agreement to have Erlanger lease the North Georgia facility for 10 years, with two 10-year extensions.

The lease agreement has not been made final, but Erlanger board members unanimously voted tonight to approve a letter of intent to pursue the lease and to move forward with a "feasibility study" that would evaluate Hutcheson's financials and market share status.

"Together with Erlanger, [Hutcheson] will continue to provide high-quality jobs and even better health care for the community," said Ted Rumley, chairman of the Dade County Board of Commissioners. After the meeting, Rumley called the agreement "historic."

It is still unclear how much money may be at stake in a potential agreement between the two county-owned hospitals.

For more on this story, read Friday's Times Free Press.