Officials try to land nursing home in Atoka

<br>(Atoka-AP) -- City and hospital officials in Atoka are hoping to bring a nursing home back to the southeastern Oklahoma town. <br><br>Mayor Coby Sherrill says a partnership involving three men has

Monday, November 10th 2003, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

(Atoka-AP) -- City and hospital officials in Atoka are hoping to bring a nursing home back to the southeastern Oklahoma town.

Mayor Coby Sherrill says a partnership involving three men has agreed to buy the former Atoka Care Center, which closed several years ago. He says the center across the street from Atoka Memorial Hospital could be open by the end of the year.

A nursing home would be good news for the hospital, which is owned by the county and receives much of its income from Medicare patients.

Hospital administrator Buck McKinney says Medicare patients accounted for about 75 percent of the hospital revenue until the only nursing home in the area burned in August.

He says the nursing home patients moved to McAlester, Caddo and Coal County, hurting the hospital's revenue.