SunLink Health Systems has transferred operation of and leased Chilton Medical Center to a subsidiary of Carraway Medical Systems LLC.

The two companies agreed to a six-year lease, and Carraway has the option to purchase the center during the term of the lease.

The transfer of operation was effective March 1, but Herschel Breig with Carraway has been working at CMC for about three weeks now, he said.

Breig said patients in the coming months may notice several subtle changes intended to make the clinic more user-friendly.

“We already feel like it provides good patient care,” Breig said. “We’re glad to be here; we feel like there’s a good opportunity here.”

Breig said he is serving as an interim administrator and that it’s too early in the transition to say what kind of other staff changes might be made.

“Until you get in and determine where you’re at, it’s hard to say about that kind of thing,” Breig said.

SunLink, based in Atlanta, now operates six hospitals, three nursing homes and one home care business in the Southeast and Midwest.

Carraway operates businesses across the spectrum of healthcare and is based in Missouri.