Madera Community Hospital inches closer to reopening, despite opposition

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Madera Community Hospital could beryllium little than six months from reopening to the nationalist much than a twelvemonth aft it unopen its doors.

On Tuesday, a national tribunal justice approved American Advanced Management (AAM) to determination guardant with their bid to manage, reopen and acquisition the shuttered hospital. AAM had submitted their connection 7 weeks ago.

Their support was concisely astatine hazard Monday erstwhile Adventist Health, UCSF, and Madera County submitted a associated bid to acquisition and reopen the hospital.

In court, Madera County asked for much clip to see the caller associated bid from UCSF and Adventist Health. The region argued that UCSF and Adventist's reputations would marque it easier to enlistee much doctors, nurses, and different unit to the hospital. The region besides pointed to the imaginable usage of Madera Community Hospital arsenic different aboriginal teaching infirmary successful the Central Valley.

AAM argued they would beryllium capable to unfastened a infirmary sooner than different bidder, perchance successful arsenic small arsenic 4 months. They besides said to not regularisation retired the imaginable of different teaching infirmary successful the valley.

"UCSF is invited to if their involvement is successful uncovering ways to enactment Madera Community Hospital they're surely invited to scope retired and proceed that with our enactment arsenic would arsenic different world affiliate that mightiness person involvement successful supporting this community," said Matthew Beehler, Chief Strategy Officer for AAM.

The justice repeatedly asked UCSF wherever they had been successful the past twelvemonth since the hospital's closing and wherefore they had not been a portion of the bidding process sooner and pointed to Adventist's erstwhile involvement and withdrawal.

RELATED: Adventist Health and UCSF denote effort to bargain Madera Community Hospital

He explained the court's determination needed to see what is successful the champion involvement of the estate, creditors, and assemblage yet deciding that allowing AAM to determination guardant would beryllium the amended option.

Madera County, Adventist, Senator Anna M. Caballero (D-Merced), Assemblywoman Esmeralda Soria (D-Fresno), and Assemblymember Dr. Joaquin Arambula (D-Fresno) each released statements expressing their disappointment with the decision.

The county's connection work successful part, "The Board is disappointed that the bankruptcy tribunal did not assistance clip to see a beardown connection that would person brought different UCSF affiliated aesculapian field to the Central Valley, and specifically to Madera."

The Madera County Department of Health Director who spoke against AAM's acquisition successful tribunal turned down a petition for an interview.

AAM inactive needs support from the California Department of Public Health earlier it tin statesman the process of reopening.

A doc who is simply a co-chair connected the creditor's committee testified Tuesday that nurses and physicians who had antecedently worked for the infirmary would beryllium consenting to instrumentality nether AAM's management.

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