Hutcheson keeps cardiologist until December

Hutcheson Medical Center will have on-call cardiology coverage at least through mid-December, according to a Friday news release.

Dr. Marvin Mills has been the hospital's sole on-call cardiologist for months and had been planning to step down from call coverage, while continuing to treat his patients at the hospital, at the end of the month.

"I am pleased to announce that Dr. Mills has agreed to continue providing this vital service to our hospital through mid-December in order to allow the hospital to find additional coverage and a long-term solution," President and CEO Charles Stewart said in the release. "I cannot say enough how much we appreciate the long-term commitment that Dr. Mills has shown to our hospital and community. The community can be reassured that cardiology services are and will continue to be provided to patients at Hutcheson Medical Center."

Dr. Mills declined comment Friday.

Local doctors had been concerned about the impending change in cardiology coverage. Without that specialty coverage in the emergency room, physicians said they would be hesitant to admit patients to the hospital.

Also at the end of December, two intensive care and lung specialists with Battlefield Pulmonology will leave Hutcheson to join Memorial Hospital. Hutcheson also is working to find replacement pulmonology coverage for the ER in the group's absence.

The hospital is working with a consultant to come up with a plan to address its financial challenges and should have a strategic plan within the next six months, according to a statement from Martha Attaway, chairwoman of the Hutcheson Medical Center board, also in the news release.

Hutcheson lost $468,000 in 2008 and lost more than that in fiscal year 2009, which ended in September 2009.

Hutcheson officials declined further comment, but a communications official said financial statements for 2009 and the current fiscal year are not available.

The CEO of the consultant group - Plano, Texas-based Community Hospital Corp. - gave a presentation to the boards of Hutcheson Medical Center Inc., Hutcheson Health Enterprises and the Hospital Authority of Walker, Dade and Catoosa Counties, at a joint board meeting on Monday.

The hospital's management also will work with the consultant to provide a "financial forecast" to Regions Bank, which underwrites the hospital's outstanding bond debt, the release said.

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