Still No Resolution Between UMC, Children’s

paso children’s hospital will continue for at least another week! we learned that this afternoon, a day after the latest final deadline for a deal to save el paso children’s hospital passed without agreement. abc-7’s darren hunt joins us live from downtown el paso to explain … darren. rick and estela, today’s bankruptcy hearing in austin was broadcast here at our federal courthouse. judge chris mott postponed until next tuesday a hearing on whether umc can present its plan to save the children’s hospital, yesterday’s attempt at a last ditch deal fell apart despite both sides appearing to agree for the most part. children’s officials admitted in a release they did request some “clarifications. umc and commissioners told me they viewed that as yet another counter offer, and that led to the deadline coming and going with no deal. but with another week to work with due to today’s delay, it appears both sides are now headed back to the negotiating table in hopes of concluding that elusive agreement. but commissioner david stout said in his eyes that agreement must include umc as children’s strategic partner and no one else. david stout, county commissioner: “we need to move on. umc needs to submit a plan. if they want to work together with us to submit a joint plan — i think that’s probably what they’re alluding to — we can work together on a join plan but with umc as a partner. i don’t think there is an appetite anymore, at least on my behalf in my opinion, for going out to a third party.” we just spoke with county judge veronica escobar … and she agreed with stout about children’s partner needing to be umc at this point. no comment thus far today from children’s hospital on whether they agree with that assessment, but documents they’ve filed previously do allude to the potential of a third party strategic partner. so that may be a significant sticking point. coming up at six, you will hear from escobar why there was no deal yesterday despite children’s saying it had accepted umc’s terms. rick and estela. today, we’re learning why two county commissioners voted against the approval of university