Turner: Hospital has no plans to close

The parent company of the company that provides support services for the management of the Abbeville Area Medical Center has filed for Chapter 11 reorganization, but the AAMC CEO says that it is not expected to provide any adverse effect on the hospital.

“It shouldn’t affect the hospital at all,” said Abbeville Area Medical Center CEO Dean Turner on Monday of the recent action by Quorum Health Corporation to file for Chapter 11.

“There is no real change for the hospital,” said Turner.

Quorum Health Corporation is the parent company of QHR Health, said the AAMC CEO.

“We provide support services for the management of the hospital,” Turner said of QHR, which he said is based in the Nashville, TN area.

Quorum, for example, advises the hospital on purchasing contracts, and advises the board on operational concerns, such as Medicare and Medicaid.

The firm has been providing these services for the hospital for more than 20 years.

“I’m leased to the hospital by Quorum,” said Turner.

AAMC, a 25-bed facility, has approximately 400 employees, and recently the institution announced a number of furloughs.

“We don’t have any plans to close,” he said.

AAMC has not been immune to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

“We did close the Wellness Center,” he said. “We can’t have any people congregating even to work out.”