Aug. 5 is deadline to submit bids to buy bankrupt Forum Health

YOUNGSTOWN — Aug. 5 is deadline to submit bids to buy the bankrupt Forum Health health-care system.

It is expected any bids will exceed that of Ardent Health Services, the only bidder to date, who this month agreed to purchase Forum for $69.8 million.

U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Kay Woods also set a hearing on the bids for Aug. 10 as part of her approval of the bidding process.

Forum’s attorney Shawn Riley called the judge’s actions the “final step in Forum Health’s effort to emerge from bankruptcy.

In addition to the purchase offer, Ardent, based in Nashville, Tenn., pledged to hire Forum’s employees, keep its three major hospitals open, and invest $50 million to $70 million over five years on renovations, new equipment and other upgrades.

For the complete story, see Wednesday’s Vindicator and Vindy.com