A group of local healthcare professionals and public leaders are cautiously optimistic the new owners of the local hospital will get it open but are ready to act if needed.

Donna Corrado and her husband Joseph are leading a group of local people in creating a not-for-profit organization with the intent of opening a critical access hospital. The group has not officially formed but has the pieces in place to move if they have to. Corrado told the Ledger the group has no intention of interfering with Ziva Medical, the new owners of the hospital, and will wait and see what happens.

“The question is can the people who are in possession of our hospital bring it across the finish line?” Corrado said. “If they can’t, can we?”

Corrado said it’s encouraging to have outside money investing in Mexico as opposed to locals having to raise capital.

“They’ve brought in people who are living here and working here,” Corrado said. “That’s all good.”

Corrado said the reason she’s optimistic is the people Ziva hired to run the operation led by CEO Amanda Shurtz and CFO Angie Schierer. Corrado said both have the resume to do the job and have experience in turning around rural hospitals in Illinois.

“These people seem to be different in that they have competent people pulling it together,” Corrado said. “They’re experienced good leaders who know how to do what they need to do. The question is are the pockets deep enough?”

Corrado said locals have a lot of good reasons to be skeptical considering what the community has gone through the last few years. She said if Shurtz is given the resources she has faith in her.

“They have a track record of getting it done,” Corrado said. “I think she’s capable of getting it over the finish line if they give her the money. There will be a hospital in Mexico whether Ziva brings it or we have to do it a different way.”