Forum Health court hearing is canceled

STAFF REPORT

YOUNGSTOWN — A court hearing scheduled Tuesday in the Forum Health bankruptcy case was canceled because one of the two issues was settled and the other was extended.

Judge Kay Woods of U.S. Bankruptcy Court settled one of the issues by extending Forum’s cash-collateral agreement with its major lenders until April 2.

The agreement, which permits Forum to use its cash collateral to operate, was due to expire Friday.

The other issue is a Forum motion to give $18,216 in severance pay for Walter “Buzz” Pishkur, former Forum president and chief executive officer.

At a previous court hearing, the facts were not in dispute, but attorneys disagreed over whether Pishkur is eligible under the severance policy.

Judge Woods said at the time that if the two sides could not come to agreement, a full evidentiary hearing would be Tuesday.

That hearing, however, also was canceled, and no new date was set.

An entry on the court’s docket says that stipulations of facts in the matter are to filed with the court on or before March 9.

The docket entry does not indicate if an agreement was reached between the opposing sides.

Opposed to Pishkur’s severance package were attorneys representing the unsecured creditors and the U.S. Trustee’s office.

The financially troubled health-care system filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection March 16, 2009.

Pishkur, under pressure from creditors, resigned his position Sept. 21, 2009.

Forum Health operates Northside Medical Center in Youngstown, Trumbull Memorial Hospital in Warren and Hillside Rehabilitation Hospital in Howland.