Meeting this week to consider sale of Price Street clinic

A special meeting has been called for the Randolph County Health Care Authority Thursday to consider a sale and lease agreement submitted by Northeast Alabama Regional Medical Center in Anniston for Southern Family Health Care on Price Street.

Randolph Medical Center administrator Jon Dixon said he asked that the meeting be changed from Tuesday, April 26, to April 21. Much of the meeting will be in executive session to consider the agreement and possible points of negotiation, he said.

“I’ve been real impressed with the folks from Regional,”  he said.

Attorney Lee R. Benton of Benton & Centeno, LLP has filed several motions before U.S. Bankruptcy Judge William R. Sawyer including converting the authority’s Chapter 11 filing for liquidation, not reorganizing, to a Chapter 7. The proceeds of the liquidation would be used to pay towards RMC’s obligations.

Earlier this month Benton and others met with the bankruptcy administrator and were told what is expected of them as far as filing reports and deadlines, as well as making sure they are complying with Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA).

The HIPAA Privacy Rule protects the privacy of individually identifiable health information. Benton said he believes HIPAA is why there will be a hearing on appointment of a health ombudsman, along with other motions, on May 10.

Remaining employees from the center’s closures are still boxing up medical records for transfer to Wedowee Hospital, Dixon said.

His last day on site at RMC full time is expected to be in May. However, he will probably come over to check on things, he said.

Soon all employees will be gone, and there is no time line on when the trustee will be appointed to handle the hospital’s affairs, Benton said.

If the hospital gets the asset purchase agreement filed before May 10 he believes they will have to give 23 days notice to all creditors.

Since it is not known what the hospital will sell for, if it sells, he does not know how much would be available to pay on debts.

(For more about the hospital see the April 20 issue of The Randolph Leader.)