ANALYSIS: What Northwest's leaving may mean for the future of HRMCI

The dispute between the Amarillo Area Foundation and the Harrington Regional Medical Center Inc. recently receiving great attention can be a bit hard to understand.
To summarize the issue, the AAF wants to take control of HRMCI’s land, money and authority after the medical center has decided to sale some of its undeveloped land. This was land donated to it when the medical center was created.
The AAF, who once controlled the medical center before creating HRMCI in the 1980s, is upset the group hasn’t donated the land to qualified nonprofit health providers and educational centers.
Wednesday afternoon brought significant news; Northwest Texas Healthcare System withdrew its HRMCI membership effective immediately.
When initial news broke last week that Baptist St. Anthony’s Health System withdrew from HRMCI, the medical center wrote it off as BSA thumbing its nose at the rest of town.
When the AAF wrote a harsh piece this week criticizing the HRMCI’s leadership and land deals, HRMCI wrote it off as a political gesture.
When Northwest announced Wednesday it would leave the group, HRMCI leaders were silent. The hospital said it backed the AAF in its efforts.
Northwest’s leaving proves the displeasures with HRMCI are more widespread. This is more than just political bickering of one hospital or outside organization.
The two largest hospitals in Amarillo have now left greatly hurting any future influence of the medical center.
It figures HRMCI now has to do something.

If members - powerful members - continue to leave, the medical center will have no members left and could essentially disappear. It may have no choice but to hand itself over to the AAF.
The medical center’s leaders say they will release a statement in the near future. We’ll see what they have to say.