El Segundo, Calif.-based Verity Health System, the nonprofit operator of six hospitals, filed for bankruptcy protection Aug. 31. The bankruptcy proceedings are being challenged by SEIU-UHW, a union representing 2,000 workers at Verity Health hospitals.
The hospitals were originally owned by Los Altos, Calif.-based Daughters of Charity Health System. The financially troubled system began seeking a buyer for the hospitals in 2014, and Integrity Healthcare, a company created by BlueMountain Capital Management, took over the facilities in 2015 and renamed them Verity Health System. Billionaire Patrick Soon-Shiong, MD, bought Integrity in July 2017, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Dave Regan, president of SEIU-UHW, expressed concern about Verity entering bankruptcy.
"When Verity bought these hospitals from Daughters of Charity four years ago, they made promises to these communities that they would not lose access to the care they needed," he said in a press release. "Now it looks like Verity's billionaire owner wants to go back on those commitments."
In the bankruptcy filing, Verity seeks court permission to sell the hospitals from any liens and encumbrances. SEIU-UHW contends this shows Verity's "intent to nullify their obligations both to their union collective bargaining agreements and the conditions of sale imposed by former Attorney General Kamala Harris when Verity purchased the hospitals."
By challenging the bankruptcy filing, SEIU-UHW intends to ensure the hospitals are kept open and continue to meet pension obligations and maintain current services and levels of employment.
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