BRUNSWICK

Parkview Adventist Medical Center President Randee Reynolds says his hospital is still licensed, running and ready to take care of its patients. That is, despite the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services cutting off payments to Parkview, following the hospital’s bankruptcy filing in June.

Reynolds sees it as just a bump in the road.

The hospital is undergoing an acquisition by Mid Coast Hospital, after which the two will work in concert to provide walk-in, emergency and inpatient care, as well as therapy and wellness care.

“I think we’re waiting in sort of an administrative limbo at this point,” Reynolds said. “The judge said, basically, you guys work it out — that’s where we are.”

Reynolds had sent CMS a letter stating that Parkview would no longer be participating in the Medicare program when the sale to Mid Coast Hospital is completed. Without a firm date of the sale, CMS terminated services on June 18, the day the emergency department was scheduled to close.

“ We’re still seeing patients here and we’re still a hospital with a conditional license,” Reynolds said.

Although inpatient and emergency services have ceased at the hospital, services such as the walk-in clinic, radiology, laboratory, physical and occupational therapy, hematology and oncology services remain intact.

Cuts to services were done out of safety concerns, Reynolds said.

“ There’s a lot of stuff going around,” Reynolds said. “People are worried about their jobs — what’s next and the unknown.”

“We can’t have that going on while we’re trying to deal with patients,” Reynolds added. “It’s just not a good environment. So, we made a decision and we didn’t want to confuse the general public about what really is going on over there.”

Reynolds said that what CMS is doing today is reminiscent of what happened with some vendors during the bankruptcy. Following news of the bankruptcy, Reynolds said some vendors became nervous that a bankruptcy meant they wouldn’t receive payments owed. Reynolds said the vendors were fine after a little reassurance and they indeed received payment on their shipments.

Reynolds said he’s really not sure what happened with CMS, adding, “ It’s coming out of Boston. It’s not local, not the state, not DHHS — it’s someone in Boston.”

According to Reynolds, Parkview remains as committed as ever to provide services to patients, and the back Medicare payments are more about paying down the hospital debt than providing service. The hospital currently owes about $ 1 million to it’s top 20 unsecured creditors and as much as $10 million to $50 million to it’s other creditors.

“ By the time that they pay us, most of the sale to Mid Coast will already be concluded and that money will certainly go back into the trust to pay our creditors,” Reynolds said.

Reynolds assuaged any rumors that Parkview is no longer a functioning hospital.

“My license at the hospital was set to run out at the end of August, which it always does every year,” he said. “It’s like an annual event and we sent it in in June to reapply and sent our money.”

Reynolds recalled his conversation with the Department of Health and Human Services regarding licensure. He said he asked DHHS if he could get an extension on the hospital license since he didn’t know how timing of the bankruptcy would affect the process. He said DHHS in turn offered him a conditional license until Dec. 18.

Reynolds said that DHHS has been to Parkview every day that the hospital winding down emergency and inpatient care, and that they have been there once a week since the hospital filed bankruptcy. He noted DHHS has been very supportive through the process.

“This is not something that they go through every day, either,” he said. “ I think they understand what we’re trying to do here with the realignment. I think they’re totally on board with what we’re doing.”

Still in dismay about the CMS decision, Reynolds said CMS must have encountered similar situations across the country and known how to react.

Asked when he thinks things may return to normal, Reynolds laughed.

“ I’m not really sure at this point what’s normal,” he said.

Reynolds said the most likely outcome is that a federal bankruptcy judge will tell Parkview and CMS to work together.

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