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Bondholders, bankruptcy trustee seek slowdown in Mercy hospital sale


Signs direct Mercy Iowa City patients to areas in the hospital, which may be sold to the University of Iowa. The hospital’s bondholders and creditors, however, asked a judge this week to slow down the sale to give them time for due diligence and to maximize the “value of the sale.”  (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)
Signs direct Mercy Iowa City patients to areas in the hospital, which may be sold to the University of Iowa. The hospital’s bondholders and creditors, however, asked a judge this week to slow down the sale to give them time for due diligence and to maximize the “value of the sale.” (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)

IOWA CITY — Although Mercy Iowa City wants an expeditious sale of its assets — after the 150-year-old hospital filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy this month — its bondholders and creditors this week asked a judge to tap the brakes to give them time for due diligence and to maximize the “value of the sale.”

“(Mercy’s) proposed bidding procedures are premised upon an exceptionally abridged timeline,” the hospital’s primary bondholders argued in court filings Thursday, referencing Mercy’s request for a Sept. 19 deadline for other bids to compete with the University of Iowa’s $20 million opening offer.

“The timeline under the proposed bid procedures is so compressed that it could potentially deter interested parties from participating in the sale process and have a chilling effect.”

Chief Judge Thad Collins on Friday agreed to move a hearing on the timeline and sale process from Aug. 31 to

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