Talks between Benefis, Great Falls Clinic end

Negotiations for Benefis Health System to buy Great Falls Clinic have fallen apart, and both sides are blaming each other for ending the talks. Officials with Great Falls Clinic said Wednesday they were willing to sell to Benefis, but further terms and conditions would need to be negotiated. Benefis administrators said those terms were talked through during the exclusive discussion period and that Benefis revised its offer to reflect those negotiations. B u t B e n e f i s C h i e f Execut ive Of f icer John Goodnow said Thursday that clinic officials tacitly rejected the revised offer by allowing the deadline to expire without accepting it. Meanwhile, clinic administrators say Benefis never made an official offer. John Kinna, chief administrative officer at the Great Falls Clinic, said the clinic never had a chance to vote on an offer because it was working with preliminary terms and nothing was final or definitive. Neither party could discuss the specifics of the negotiations or disclose Benefis' offering price because of a confidentiality agreement. Dr. Gina Painter of the Great Falls Clinic's executive committee has said the economic environment and changing health care legislation led to the talks. Goodnow said he does not expect negotiations to continue between Benefis and the clinic, While Kinna said clinic administrators would explore potential opportunities for other partnerships.