Thomas Hospital in Fairhope lays off 20 employees

Published: Tuesday, November 23, 2010, 6:00 AM

FAIRHOPE, Alabama -- Two months after Thomas Hospital celebrated its 50th anniversary, hospital officials on Monday announced that a recent increase in uninsured patients had forced them to lay off 17 full-time employees and three part-time positions.

"This is probably due to the nation’s overall economy in general, and specifically due to the economic impact of the oil spill on Baldwin County," said Cynthia Maddox, vice president of marketing for Infirmary Health System, which controls the Fairhope-based hospital.

In the past year, Thomas Hospital has seen a 20 percent increase in "private pay services" -- that is, health care services for patients who are either uninsured or who cannot afford to pay their insurance premiums, she said.

"Statistically, we only get back 5 percent of what we do in private pay. But we don’t turn anyone away," Maddox said.

The layoffs became effective Nov. 17, she said. Most of the employees who were laid off held mid-management positions. None of them were medical personnel, Maddox said.

The Infirmary Health System includes Mobile Infirmary, Infirmary West, North Baldwin Infirmary and Thomas Hospital. The entire system last year spent $40 million on uncompensated care, Maddox said.

Thomas itself has about 1,100 employees, including 200 doctors.

Mark Nix, the head of Infirmary Health System, said he has seen more urgent-care facilities popping up and fewer people coming through the traditional medical system.

In part, that’s because people have lost health insurance or have seen their benefits reduced, he said, leading patients to try to manage costs and seek cheaper care.

One solution, Maddox said, is to go to the local emergency room, where they can’t be denied care.

Infirmary Health Systems announced in 2005 that it would lease and operate Fairhope’s Thomas Hospital, in exchange for paying down $44 million in debt and paying for an expansion.

Last year, Thomas Hospital completed a $40 million expansion, including a new emergency room and 64 additional patient rooms. The hospital is now 368,000 square feet and has 150 beds.

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Treat the Arby unpaid employees for 60 per cent of the salary in the case of bankruptcy

Published: Wednesday, October 27, 2010, 8 H 15

MOBILE, Alabama. - employees of the Local Arby, who went unpaid earlier this month will be soon get about 60% of the money they are caused due to an agreement reached in mobile United States Bankruptcy Court Tuesday.

United States Bankruptcy Judge William Shulman ordered that Beavers Inc., which has locations in other South-East, Arby resume 22 stores controlled by the GWP-based VR Inc. Robertsdale filed bankruptcy in January and was unable to get creditors approve a plan to allow managers to maintain ownership and control.

Beaver, who buys the GWP locations operates stores since 5 October. But in the transition, managers of old or new paid the collective of $250,000 or to some 400 employees.

Involved are four stores in mobile and one in groundnuts, Bay Minette, Daphne, Fairhope and banks places in Mississippi and Gulf and Peninsula of Florida.

Shulman, said Tuesday that it would approve a plan that called for employees to be paid $155,000 after stores are sold at the Beaver, a transaction expected next week.It is enough to cover salaries for 14 days, said Michael Smith, a lawyer representing approximately 125 workers.

After going on sale, a trustee must sort out of payroll records before cutting b.c controls ' was not clear Tuesday how would.

Smith will get $100 for each employee who hired him back pay, he said judge. up to now, it means Smith online for $12,500.However, Shulman said that workers would be paid regardless of whether they have hired Smith.

To get the rest of their money, employees must return in accordance with other créanciers.On don't know how much money will be left to satisfy the debt of the PRI.

"It probably is the best deal that will happen," Shulman said claims of employees.

Sales and revenue division provisionally approved Tuesday was pushed through the first free Capital Corp., which had been lending main PRI.

Beaver, franchisee of an existing Arby based in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, will provide stores-340_000 $ cash $ 2.72 million and the remainder paid over five years to the participation of 6%.

2.72 Million, the first franchise will get lender dollars.Le 1.86 million will be another 600 dollars that might have said and direct $155,000 employees, $250,000 to cover some of the remaining debt PRI and $230 000 to the MPC, which provides food and paper to the magasins.Un another $20,000 will go the Arby ' group restaurant, while $22,500 will go to a group who buys advertising for local shops.

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