A study deducing the feasibility of a new hospital facility in Lawrence County is nearing completion, although no details have yet been released.

The study, a joint effort of St. Mary's Medical Center and the Lawrence County Hospital Steering Committee, is looking at the area's medical needs in the absence of River Valley Hospital, which closed in 2001.

D.R. Gossett, steering committee chairman, emphasized that nothing concrete has been decided right now, but talks about hospital possibilities could began to ramp up this month.

&#8221I would expect in the next week or so some very thoughtful discussions as to the role of having a hospital in Lawrence County and who the players would be,“ Gossett said. &#8221I suspect that discussion is going to get some fuel in the next two to three weeks.“

Despite his anticipation of an increase in discussion, Gossett was unable to speculate on what the results of the study would be.

&#8221We want to keep our options open, and we don't want to get out there and put any kind of overt pressure on anyone,“ Gossett said. &#8221We're really pleased with the folks that we've been able to talk to, so we're not going to box them in in any way.“

Dan Londeree, a spokesperson for St. Mary's, was similarly tight-lipped about his hospital's role, if any, in a new facility in Lawrence County.

&#8221We're still involved in the process, we're still involved in meetings and the feasibility study is still moving forward,“ Londeree said. &#8221However, I think it's difficult to predict what the outcome is going to be.“

What Gossett is willing to admit was that the study had cost a little bit more than its original $54,000 price tag, though some of those costs were taken on by its partner in the study.

&#8221It's been an expensive study,“ Gossett said. &#8221When you bring the kind of expertise in that we have, you can get that amount spent and then some, which we have, in fact. But that's what we anticipated, that there would be some overruns so it wasn't like a surprise to us.“

In the end, Gossett said that he has no regrets about the study, and said that he felt that regardless of the outcome it was money well spent.

&#8221You have an opportunity at a certain point in time, we would have been absolutely remiss not to have brought this kind of expertise to the table to look at this,“ Gossett said. &#8221If you look at what we stand as a community the amount of money that we spend to essentially recruit a hospital is miniscule.“