After protracted negotiations, legal wranglings and hearings in federal bankruptcy court, the sale of Hutcheson Medical Center’s hospital in Ft Oglethorpe was approved on Monday, Dec. 14.

Judge Paul Bonapfel’s ruling allows ValorBridge to acquire the main hospital campus in Fort Oglethorpe for $4.2 million in cash.

ValorBridge, a group associated with Apollo Healthcare, made that offer late last Friday, Oliver said.

In addition to the hospital’s sale, the court also approved Maybrook Healthcare’s purchase of Parkside Nursing Home and an adjacent daycare center for $7.2 million.

“Judge Bonapfel did set a hearing for Dec. 17, if necessary, to finalize terms of the sale,” Oliver said. “But hopefully the sale will be completed today (Dec. 14).”

The fate of Hutcheson on the Parkway, in Ringgold, with its cancer and surgery center will be determined at another date and time.

Hutcheson, which had operated for nearly a year under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, had closed on Friday, Dec. 4, and questions had been raised about whether its state license would be voided 10 days later.

Due its having been built more than 60 years ago, if its license had expired Hutcheson would not meet current code requirements necessary to operate as a hospital and its closure would have been permanent.

The hospital was prepared to file suit against Georgia to keep its certification, but Oliver said the Department of Community Health voluntarily agreed to extend the hospital’s license as active until Dec. 24.

“We anticipate the doors being reopened before Friday (Dec. 18),” he said.

(Walker County Messenger)