Yadkin Valley Community Hospital in Yadkinville, N.C., unexpectedly closed last year, and a federal judge has now ordered the former operator of the shuttered facility to pay civil contempt damages and attorney fees, according to the Winston-Salem Journal.
YVCH closed May 22, which came as a shock to Yadkin County officials, as the hospital's for-profit operator was scheduled to run the hospital until July 31. After the hospital closed, Yadkin County officials filed a lawsuit requesting the operator HMC/CAH Consolidated along with its parent company and local operational unit be found in civil and criminal contempt for breaching its lease contract by shutting down the hospital in May.
On Tuesday, Judge Terrence Boyle ordered YVCH's former operator to pay $36,010 in civil contempt damages and $112,011 in attorney fees.
However, the for-profit operator is not going down without a fight. It has filed several legal actions in an attempt to avoid paying the damages, according to the report.
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