Louisiana's Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne talks with 101.7 / 710 KEEL's Robert J Wright and Erin McCarty about the status of a deal that would transfer control of Shreveport's University Health Hospital to Ochsner Health System from Biomedical Research Foundation.

Dardenne tells KEEL listeners that all sides in the negotiations are working toward a non-binding agreement that, hopefully, can be signed by the end of December. Dardenne also says that the future role of Biomedical Research Foundation is part of the current talks and is not finalized. But he adds that BRF "initiated the interest in Ochsner coming in."

The Commissioner also addresses claims of underfunding of charity hospitals in north Louisiana - in Shreveport and Monroe - and whether these financial concerns are valid and part of the hoped for deal.

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