What This Story Is About
- The Williamson County Commission voted to approve a non-binding letter of intent to sell Williamson Health to Ascension St. Thomas Wednesday night.
Why It Matters
- After a medication error at Ascension St. Thomas Midtown left at least one woman paralyzed and put the hospital’s Medicare funding in jeopardy, some residents and county commissioners raised concerns about the sale.
What Happens Next
- The county commission will still have to vote again to approve the sale and can back out of the deal in the future.
For Context
- Nashville hospital could lose Medicare agreement over medication error, agency warns
- State report cites failures at Ascension St. Thomas Midtown after 4 patients given wrong medication during surgery
Catch Up
FRANKLIN, Tenn. (WSMV) – Williamson County is moving forward with plans to sell its community health system to Ascension St. Thomas as the Nashville-based hospital system faces scrutiny over a medication error that left at least one woman paralyzed.
The Williamson County Commission voted to approve a non-binding letter of intent to sell Williamson Health to Ascension St. Thomas Wednesday night.
The vote does not mean the sale is final, however, it does enter the county into exclusive talks with Ascension St. Thomas to continue negotiating for at least the next 120 days.
It also allows the county to start asking tough questions of the hospital system through the due diligence process.
Williamson County has been trying to sell its publicly-owned community health system Williamson Health for years due to financial issues, although plans were only made public last year.
The county had two bids to choose from, one from Ascension St. Thomas and a competitive offer from HCA Healthcare.
In July, the Williamson Health Board of Trustees announced its decision to go with the nearly $1 billion bid from Ascension, saying it believed their nonprofit, patient-focused model was a better fit for Williamson Health.
But after a medication error at Ascension St. Thomas Midtown left at least one woman paralyzed and put the hospital’s Medicare funding in jeopardy, some residents and county commissioners raised concerns about the sale.
Several residents shared their concerns with the county commission ahead of the vote Wednesday night.
“They are facing Medicare termination after several medication errors,” one resident said. “As the new owner, my question is, will the Medicare termination filter down to our medical center and its patients?”
“As a community, we deserve to know that when this sale occurs, that we will have the care and safety and not inherit more debt,” another added.
But even more of the public comment period was taken up by physicians and employees at Williamson Health telling commissioners they’re in full support of the sale to Ascension.
“I trust that they are an excellent partner, not only to my practice, but to my community where I live,” one doctor said.
“I work side by side with Ascension doctors almost every shift,” said another. “I’ve witnessed firsthand the outstanding care that they provide to their patients.”
The county commission will still have to vote again to approve the sale and can back out of the deal in the future.
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