Mr. Lopez approved a Dec. 27 request from the Dallas-based, for-profit health system after Steward filed a closure notice on Dec. 16 when Meadville (Pa.) Medical Center withdrew a proposed purchase of the hospital.
Steward, which sought Chapter 11 protection May 6, also filed two WARN notices in Pennsylvania for a total of 848 hospital employees.
Along with the approved closure, Steward may also “abandon any personal property remaining at the facility” on Jan. 6, according to a court document obtained by Becker’s.
Since September, Pennsylvania has provided Steward with $4.5 million to keep the hospital running while it looked for a new operator. The state then filed an emergency notice in early December after Steward requested $3 million per month or it would begin closing the hospital.
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