Allegiance Health Management has announced plans to sell Minden Medical Center, a development that comes amid months of reported financial difficulties and growing community concerns about the future of the hospital as it approaches its 100th anniversary in December.
In an October 1 statement, Allegiance announced that the 92-bed acute-care hospital is being offered for sale as part of an effort to find a qualified organization or partner committed to maintaining healthcare services in Minden and Webster Parish.
The announcement does not identify a prospective buyer or establish a completion date. Hospital officials emphasized that Minden Medical Center will remain open and continue normal operations throughout the process.
“While this is a significant step for our organization, our focus remains where it has always been — providing quality and compassionate healthcare to the patients and families we are privileged to serve,” said Keith Cox, CEO of Minden Medical Center. “Our hospital, our employees and our medical staff are an important part of this community, and we remain committed to caring for our patients throughout this process.”
Patients are encouraged to continue scheduling appointments, procedures, and other healthcare services as usual.
Although Allegiance has not directly attributed the decision to sell to the hospital’s financial condition, the announcement follows a series of developments that have raised questions about the facility’s long-term stability.
In April, the Minden Press-Herald reported that Shreveport-based Storer Services Ltd. had filed a civil lawsuit against Minden Medical Center alleging nonpayment for an HVAC replacement chiller and related work completed in September 2025. Additional court filings involved more than $750,000 in unpaid services from 2024 for several home health and ambulance vendors.
The hospital had also recently paid approximately $120,000 in overdue utility bills to the City of Minden.
Concerns about the hospital’s future have extended beyond its financial obligations. Webster Parish Police Jury President Jim Bonsall has addressed the issue during multiple public meetings, emphasizing the importance of maintaining local access to hospital services.
During the July Police Jury meeting, Bonsall expressed concern about the hospital’s debt and the possibility of Minden losing the facility.
“The people need to know that there’s a problem, and they need to start talking about it. Minden needs a hospital, and I’m worried to death that it might go away. They’re deep in debt,” Bonsall said at the time.
“This is serious,” he added.
Bonsall revisited the issue during the September meeting, clarifying that his concerns were directed toward the hospital’s circumstances rather than its employees.
“I do want all the employees to know that anything I’ve ever said, it was not about the employees. It is about some problems they have at the hospital,” he said.
“I’m worried about them keeping their jobs, to be honest. I’m worried about Minden having a hospital but, hopefully, things are getting turned around a little bit, and it’ll get better,” Bonsall continued.
The sale announcement also follows the September 25 resignation of six members of Minden Medical Center’s Board of Governors, including board Chair Dr. Melissa Madden. In a public statement, the departing members said they could no longer continue serving in positions where their participation might be interpreted as an endorsement of decisions made by Allegiance’s corporate office.
Allegiance, based in Bossier City, acquired Minden Medical Center from LifePoint Health in 2018.
The potential ownership change is not limited to Minden. Reports published October 2 indicate that other Allegiance-owned facilities, including Northern Louisiana Medical Center in Ruston, are also involved in discussions concerning possible ownership transitions. Lincoln Parish healthcare officials have confirmed preliminary discussions regarding the Ruston facility, although no final sale agreement has been announced.
For Minden, the timing is particularly significant. Minden Medical Center is celebrating a century of service to the community this year, with its 100th anniversary arriving in December. The hospital has served generations of Webster Parish residents, providing inpatient, outpatient, and emergency healthcare services while also serving as a local employer.
In its announcement, Allegiance said the objective of the sale process is to identify an organization that recognizes the importance of rural healthcare and is committed to the hospital’s continued operation and long-term future.
“Our community has depended on Minden Medical Center for generations,” Cox said. “We appreciate the trust our patients place in us and the dedication of our employees and medical staff.”
Hospital leadership said the process is expected to take time and that additional information will be communicated to employees, physicians, and the community as discussions progress.