Hospital employees paid; patients can be admitted

Employees at Haskell County Community Hospital received payroll funds last week and the facility is now prepared to admit patients, according to CEO Don Buchanan.

Cohesive Healthcare Management & Consulting LLC., was appointed last week as the temporary receiver of the hospital. That decision was issued by Associate District Judge Brian Henderson on Monday, March 11, following a hearing regarding a lawsuit filed against the group that operated the hospital.

The judge also issued a temporary restraining order against the defendants.

The City of Stigler, Board of County Commissioners of Haskell County and Haskell County-Stigler Hospital Authority II filed the lawsuit. 

The defendants in the case are CAH Acquisition Company No. 16, LLC; HMC/CAH Consolidated, Inc. and iHealthcare Management II Company. 

 The defendants did not attend the hearing and were not represented.

Witnesses testified during the hearing about the hospital’s lack of payroll funds, dwindling medical supplies, late payments for liability insurance and lack of payment for medical services for employees with health insurance.

At the time of the hearing, HCCH employees had not received payroll funds that were scheduled to be deposited into their bank accounts on Feb. 15 or March 1. The  next payroll date was just days away.

At the time of the hearing, the hospital was unable to admit patients and provide certain services due to lack of supplies, according to testimony presented.

Cohesive began managing the hospital as soon as the judge issued the order, according to Buchanan. “That same day, they were here,” he said.

“They basically just stepped in like a management company would, started evaluating all areas of the hospital to see what was needed and what we needed to do differently.”

Payroll received from Cohesive last week was for the most recent pay period.

Buchanan said the community has shown support for hospital employees who continued to work and kept the hospital open, even though they had not received paychecks.  

“I think it’s just amazing to me the amount of caring that takes place, and the concern from the public. I’m just blown away by the whole process,” he said.

A community fundraising campaign is currently underway to provide financial assistance for hospital employees who worked without pay from Feb. 4 to Monday, March 11. See related story in this issue.

By Anita Reding/Staff reporter