I have been watching this in the news for the past several months. For those who know about it, a resolution was reached today:
Adventist to walk away from Bert Fish hospital deal
Adventist Health System has announced that it will sever ties with Bert Fish Medical Center and won't appeal a judge's order that invalidated a merger of the two institutions.
Adventist, the Winter Park-based health giant that owns the Florida Hospital chain, began a partnership with the New Smyrna Beach hospital in July 2010 and has been operating it since then.
But a lawsuit by the Bert Fish Foundation contested the merger, saying that the partnership was agreed upon after 21 months of closed-door meetings, in violation of the state's Sunshine Law. On Feb. 24, Circuit Judge Richard Graham agreed and ordered Adventist to return the hospital to its public owners, the Southeast Volusia Hospital District.
"We disagree with the ruling and believe there are compelling grounds to appeal this decision," Don Jernigan, Adventist's president and CEO, said in a statement Wednesday. "However, we have determined that the uncertainty and instability that would exist during the appeals process would not be beneficial to the hospital, our employees or the community. It is in the best interest of Bert Fish Medical Center that we honor the court's ruling rather than continue the litigation."More on the story here:
Orlando Sentinel
