By ANDY GARDNER

MASSENA -- Massena Memorial Hospital’s CEO says there is a lot going on behind the scenes to privatize MMH, but the process won’t go anywhere until they’ve filed paperwork with the state and had the business assessed.

“It may not appear that much is being done. A lot of work is being done behind the scenes,” MMH CEO Robert Wolleben told the Town Council on Wednesday. “Valuation of hospitals is a complicated analysis and I’m told it may take up to five to six months.”

He said they’ve retained the Denton law firm to help file a Certificate of Need with the Department of Health. The managing partner working with MMH is former congressman Bill Owens.

“Process of getting it together … anticipate getting initial application somnewhere around the end of April,” Wolleben said.

Once that’s filed, it “starts a clock” of public review and comment, the CEO said.

He said the conversion expenses will be covered by a $5.8 million state grant MMH recently received.

He said they haven’t spent the money yet because they applied for several grants for different purposes are awaiting DOH clarification that they can indeed use it to cover conversion costs.

“You want to make sure when the state gives you the money you use it the way they intended,” Wolleben said.

One councilman said he thinks the changes at MMH would be a draw to new physicians and nurses, but the CSEA union head disagreed.

“There’s got to be some buzz over the process of the affiliations,” Councilman Albert Nicola said.

Kerrie French, president of MMH’s CSEA chapter, said during public comment that long-time employees are leaving, but the union isn’t tallying numbers.

“People feel like … they’re losing their pension so they go where the money is. People staying are saying ‘at least I have a job.’ They’ve been there 10 years and are not vested. People who have been there a long time are looking at other places,” French said. “We had a mass exodus of older employees last year … they would have stayed.”

Town Supervisor Joseph Gray asked her to come back to the board with hard numbers.

“I hear all the time people are leaving. Give me some evidence, that’s all I’m asking,” Gray said.