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Only ER room open at Terrell hospital

Aug 19, 2008

Only emergency patients are being treated at Renaissance Hospital of Terrell, but city officials insist that is not a prelude to closing.

“We are anxious to help the hospital to keep the doors open,” city spokeswoman Lynette Nadeau said Tuesday morning. “We are fairly certain” the hospital will stay open.

The hospital and the company that owns it have serious financial problems. An attorney for Renaissance said this month that the company had lost a $1 million line of credit and was looking for additional funding.

Locally, the hospital’s property taxes have not been paid, the city says a water bill is outstanding and some doctors and consultants have not been paid. Employees report that some recent paychecks bounced, but the company says all of those have been made good.

Hospital officials did not immediately return phone calls for comment.

No patients are being admitted to the hospital. Emergency patients are being treated and released. Those with more serious injuries or illnesses are being stabilized then transferred to other hospitals, said Ms. Nadeau, who attended a briefing by hospital administrator Sean Astolfo Tuesday morning.

“They are doing X-rays, stitches, rehydration – anything you can treat in an emergency room,” Ms. Nadeau said.

Renaissance and the city are negotiatinoNg with several companies to take over the company, but only one of those is viable, she said.

“At this point we are in negotiation. There has been an offer for a takeover,” she said, but would not name the company. She said the city is actively involved in negotiations.

The hospital has had five administrative companies in five years.

The city owns the hospital building, but is not involved with operations. Terrell leases the building to hospital companies to provide healthcare.

Ms. Nadeau said again that the city is not considering subsidizing the hospital. “The city doesn’t feel like its place to get into funding healthcare for the population.”



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