Hospitals

Ohio Nurses Association objects to selling Forum Health

The Ohio Nurses Association has objected to selling Forum Health out of bankruptcy court to Community Health Systems in suburban Nashville, Tennessee — the 11th hour bidder that snatched the Youngstown, Ohio, health system from a privately owned hospital company last week. The nurses’ union objected to selling Forum Health to Community Health Systems because it violates work agreements between the union and Youngstown health system, according to the Youngstown Vindicator. The association filed its objection electronically with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court Northern District of Ohio on Sunday, the newspaper reported.

By Mary Vanac on August 09, 2010

The Ohio Nurses Association has objected to selling Forum Health out of bankruptcy court to Community Health Systems in suburban Nashville, Tennessee — the 11th-hour bidder that snatched the Youngstown, Ohio, health system from a privately owned hospital company last week.

The nurses’ union objected to selling Forum Health to Community Health Systems because it violates work agreements between the union and Youngstown health system, according to the Youngstown Vindicator. The association filed its objection electronically with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court Northern District of Ohio on Sunday, the newspaper reported.

Community Health Systems is one of the nation’s largest for-profit hospital companies and last week offered to buy Forum Health for $100 million, according to the Warren Tribune. As recently as June, creditors and unions that represent some 3,000 employees at Forum Health’s Mahoning Valley operations were reviewing a $69.8 million offer from Ardent Health Services, also of Tennessee.

Both hospital bidders said they would invest millions more in Forum Health, once it was acquired. And both bidders are for-profit hospital systems. Forum Health is a not-for-profit institution.

A hearing is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. tomorrow in the bankruptcy court room of Judge Kay Woods to consider the winning bid, the Warren Tribune said. Presumably, Judge Woods also will consider the objection by the nurses’ union.

A year ago, Community Health Systems completed its buy of Affinity Medical Center in Massillon, Ohio. Incorporated in 1996, Community Health buys hospitals in growing but small communities where hospitals tend to have little competition and less managed-care business, and where they are considered community citizens, according to the Franklin, Tennessee, company’s annual report.