The Massillon city council voted Monday to table indefinitely the legislation that would have revived the Affinity Medical Center under a new managing company and name.
Mayor Kathy Catazaro-Perry confirmed that the council indefinitely delayed the legislation that would have handed management of the hospital to Paramount Matrix Healthcare from Tennessee. Last week, on what would have been a final vote for the company to take the reins,the city received an updated offer from one of the original six proposals.
Mayor Catazaro-Perry confirmed that the city is still looking for another company to take over the Affinity Medical Center, but Paramount Matrix’s bid has been tabled indefinitely.
The Akron Beacon Journal reported on Friday that Paramount Matrix was no longer in the running, the same day that the Massillon Independent reported that one of the company’s partners was named in a police report alleging fraud in Tennessee.
Mayor Catazaro-Perry did not respond to inquiries about the fraud allegations.
"It means everything to Massillon," said Councilwoman Linda Litman earlier this month about the reopening of Affinity. "As a council member I’ve spoken to so many residents and it was clear that Massillon wanted to have a hospital of our own."
The folks at Paramount Matrix Healthcare from Tennessee were hopeful they would be the final pick.
"We want to bring back multi-departmental, life cycle care to the community," said Paramount managing partner Jeffrey Hubrig earlier this month.
Hubrig said his company had planned to keep the hospital and rename it the Massillon Regional Medical Center. He said former employees would have had first dibs on jobs.
"We really want to insulate the city and show the community that they can have wholistic care back here in Massillon," said Hubrig.
