Stark County (Ohio) Common Pleas Judge Chryssa Hartnett issued a temporary restraining order Friday requiring Brentwood, Tenn.-based Quorum Health to suspend wind down efforts at Affinity Medical Center in Massillon, Ohio, for 14 days.
Quorum, a spinoff of Franklin, Tenn.-based Community Health Systems, announced plans in early January to shut down the facility on Feb. 4 due to financial troubles. Last week, physicians and city officials filed court documents seeking a temporary restraining order and a preliminary injunction to keep the hospital open for 120 days. The preliminary injunction hearing will be Feb. 1, according to News 5 Cleveland.
Affinity Medical Center CEO John Walsh told New 5 Cleveland the hospital will abide by the temporary restraining order. "Our efforts to negotiate with the Mayor's Office and other interested parties the last few days have not been productive and we share the court's interest in identifying an equitable solution," he said.
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Editor's Note: This article was updated Jan. 22 to reflect that a temporary restraining order was granted.