LifePoint bid for Sumner hospital approved

LifePoint Hospitals Inc. received bankruptcy court approval for its offer to buy Sumner Regional Health Systems on Wednesday. A decision on how sale proceeds are to be distributed will come later. U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Marian F. Harrison of Nashville said at a hearing that LifePoint has the financial wherewithal to carry out the purchase, adding that it's in the best interest of creditors. Harrison dismissed several objections that had been made by Sumner County. Brentwood-based hospital chain LifePoint offered to buy the Gallatin-based hospital system for $156 million and an additional $60 million of capital spending.