Judge Richard Graham ruled the 21 closed-door meetings surrounding the merger were in violation of the state’s Sunshine Law and that the two groups’ attempts to “cure” the violations by reholding the meetings were not an appropriate remedy.
The ruling was the outcome of a lawsuit alleging Sunshine Law violations filed by the Bert Fish Foundation, which has been partially funded by spurned Bert Fish suitor Halifax Health.
Judge Graham’s ruling overturns the $80 million merger and forces Adventist to return the 116-bed hospital to county ownership. After that occurs, the hospital can begin anew the process of seeking a partner for the third time in a year, according to the report.
Judge Graham previously ruled that some of the initial merger meetings violated Sunshine law but determined that a new hearing was needed to determine if reholding the meetings appropriately addressed the violation.
Read the Daytona Beach News-Journal report on Bert Fish Medical Center.
Read more coverage on Bert Fish Medical Center:
– Trial Begins in Lawsuit Alleging Violations During Bert Fish Medical Center’s Merger With Florida Hospital
– Bert Fish’s Sunshine Violation During Merger Ruled Unintentional
– Judge to Hear Lawsuit Involving Merger of Florida’s Bert Fish Medical Center in February
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