A bankruptcy court has approved a $3.7 million bid for Williamson (W.Va.) Hospital, according to WSAZ.
The 76-bed hospital filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in October, about 17 months after Franklin, Tenn.-based Community Health Systems sold the facility to Williamson-based Mingo Health Partners. In late March, MHP announced plans to close Williamson Memorial after an attempt to sell the hospital fell through.
Though the hospital is still slated to shut down April 21, a new owner, Williamson Health & Wellness Center, will take over the facility on April 30, according to MetroNews. Williamson Health & Wellness Center CEO Dino Beckett, DO, said he has a plan for the hospital.
"We'll work to transition those practices that are under Williamson Health & Wellness into space at the hospital and then build-out services that we see fit and then we'll put some partners in the health arena that we can work with to provide the necessary care that we need to have for Williamson and the Tug Valley area," Dr. Beckett told MetroNews.
The acquisition deal received praise from Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., who had shared concerns about the hospital closing amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
"I am pleased to see an agreement between Williamson Memorial Hospital and Williamson Health and Wellness to ensure Mingo County residents will not lose access to healthcare in the middle of an unprecedented pandemic," he said in a news release. "I look forward to seeing Williamson Memorial Hospital continue to provide West Virginians with care for years to come."