VICKSBURG, Miss. (WJTV) – KPC Promise Hospital in Vicksburg could be forced to close its doors.

The hospital has leased the sixth floor of Merit Health River Region since 2018, but Merit Health has terminated their lease.

“I think it would leave lots of patients in a position where they would have to accept substandard care in order to facilitate their families to participate with their care,” said Dr. Torrance Green, M.D.

Hospital staff said they were notified on Friday, May 12 that they were being evicted. Merit Health officials said they terminated the lease due to missed payments from KPC Promise Hospital.

“Promise Hospital has been unable to fulfill its lease requirements for more than a year. Two long-term care facilities in Jackson will facilitate admission for patients who require LTAC services after discharge,” Merit Health officials stated.

Green said KPC Promise Hospital was behind $1 million in rent, but he said a deal had been reached with Merit Health.

“Merit, who is in the way of receiving a good bit of those funds, taxpayer funds, they benefit from the state, supporting them through their financial distresses, but they don’t seem to be willing to help us, even though we’re recovering,” he said.

Lucille Forman, whose 77-year-old grandmother is a patient at KPC Promise Hospital, said she hopes the facility doesn’t close.

“I just don’t know what we’re going to do. I hate to even think about if this place is gone,” she said.

KPC Promise Hospital will close on June 8 if a lease agreement hasn’t been reached.