(BENTON, Ky)-The chair of Marshall County Hospital’s board of directors is disputing what she calls a deliberate campaign to misrepresent the hospital’s financial health — and says the numbers tell a very different story than the one circulating in the community.
In a statement released Monday, Board Chair Lauren Mann said rumors suggesting the county-owned hospital is nearing closure or financial collapse are not only inaccurate, but appear strategically motivated.
“The apparent goal of this messaging is to shift public perception to allow a future sale easier,” Mann wrote, noting that the rumors intensified after January, when efforts to sell the facility first became public. “If the picture painted is that the hospital is failing, any future discussions — and they will come — will face less resistance.”
The Numbers
According to Mann, Marshall County Hospital’s audited financial statements for fiscal year 2024 show a net operating profit of $73,000. While FY 2025 is expected to reflect a loss when the audit is completed in July 2026, she said that outcome stems from several large, non-recurring factors affecting healthcare organizations broadly — and is unrelated to any litigation, past or pending. The hospital, she added, maintains appropriate insurance coverage for such matters.
Mann also pointed to a key liquidity metric: the hospital currently holds 211 days of cash on hand, meaning it could sustain full operations for roughly 211 days with zero incoming revenue, at an estimated value of approximately $81,000 per day. For context, auditors have reported the median for Critical Access Hospitals nationally was around 63 days in 2022 — making Marshall County Hospital’s position more than three times stronger than the industry benchmark.
What’s Driving the Costs
Mann acknowledged that cash reserves have declined since January 2024, but attributed that to identifiable capital and operational pressures rather than insolvency. The hospital building, she noted, is now more than 17 years old and requires infrastructure investment, including a new chiller, multiple HVAC repairs, and the unbudgeted replacement of medical equipment that has reached end of life.
Additional cost pressures include the onboarding of three new medical practices, rising bad debt from patient receivables, and inflation-driven increases across pharmaceuticals, food, and medical supplies.
On the financing side, a loan through the Kentucky Association of Counties matures in 2033, and government reimbursement for interest expenses has been declining as the loan amortizes. Mann credited County Judge-Executive Mike Miller as instrumental in securing the original loan, noting that the annual payment has always been structured for January of each year.
Tax Relief, Too
Mann also highlighted that the Marshall County Public Hospital Taxing District has delivered tax relief in recent years. The real property tax rate dropped from 3.8 in 2022 to 3.3 in 2025, while tangible and inventory tax rates fell from 4.4 to 4.2 over the same period.
A Call for Unity
Mann closed her statement with a direct appeal to residents.
“Marshall County Hospital is not at risk of failing to meet its financial obligations, pay employees or vendors, or continue normal operations,” she wrote. “Assertions suggesting MCH is insolvent, nearing insolvency, or must be sold due to financial distress are not supported by the available data and misrepresent the organization’s current condition.”
“Rather than division and online rumors, my hope is for the community to come together and support our long-time county-owned, not-for-profit hospital.”
Marshall County Hospital has served Benton and the surrounding region as a publicly owned facility and is classified as a Critical Access Hospital under federal designation.
— Reported from a statement issued by Marshall County Hospital Board Chair Lauren Mann, February 16, 2026
