Bowie Hospital Authority Chairman Tim Winn signs the sales agreement as director Margaret Long looks on. The board approved the sale Monday. (Photo by Barbara Green)

By BARBARA GREEN

The new Central Hospital of Bowie is in the works as the sales agreement for the former Bowie Memorial Hospital was signed by both parties on Monday.

Tim Winn, chairman of the Bowie Hospital Authority board, and Dr. Hasan F. Hashmi, representing the Bowie Real Estate Holdings, L.P., signed the deal during Monday’s board meeting.

It was the culmination of a month’s worth of negotiations with the Hashmi group to purchase the hospital for $1.5 million.

On Feb. 19, the board accepted the bid for the hospital, followed by Hashmi providing the sales agreement and the 10 percent earnest money and asset verification to complete the deal. The final weeks were spent finalizing the legal aspects.

The Hashmi family has been involved with the sale of the hospital since last November when it was one of two bidders for the hospital. The board at that time opted to go with the Brough Group’s bid, but that group was never able to fulfill any of the requirements of the bid.

When bids were sought once more, the Hashmi group again submitted and was accepted. Dr. Hashmi is chairman of the board of directors for Texas General Hospital, which operates two hospitals in Texas located in Grand Prairie and Grand Saline. He also is president of Texas Trident LLC and president of ACO Medical PLLC.

His son, Hasan Faraz Hashmi, chief executive officer of TGH, has been a familiar face at the local hospital in recent weeks working closely with the remaining crew at the hospital to start cleaning the facility and doing paperwork to begin the transfer ownership of the state license.

Chief Executive Officer Lynn Heller said they are looking at a target date of May 16 for the closing, and Hashmi hopes to be close reopening shortly thereafter.

Read the full story in the mid-week News.

Pictured: Members of the board and guests at the meeting toast to the sale of the hospital to Dr. Hasan F. Hashmi during Monday’s board meeting. (Photo by Barbara Green)  Also see related vieo posted on the page of Dr. Hashmi’s remarks to the board.