Shawnee Hospital Authority
Public Trust, Hospital Sale & the Origins of Avedis Foundation
Shawnee accepted a beneficial interest in a hospital trust in 1966. In 2012, Unity Health Center joined SSM and the nonprofit behind Unity continued as Avedis Foundation. Follow the records that connect those events and see where ownership, financing and the distribution of sale proceeds still require documentation.
What the records establish
Shawnee accepts the beneficial interest
The signed indenture establishes the Shawnee Hospital Authority (SHA) for hospital and related public purposes. Under the original instrument, the trustees held title to the trust estate and the City accepted the beneficial interest. [1]
Maximum note authorization
The minutes index records a December 2002 authorization for a negotiated tax-exempt revenue note for the Unity Health Center Project. The actual issuance, amount drawn and repayment require closing and trustee records. [3]
The key question is who held what, and when. The City’s interest as beneficiary, the trustees’ title to trust property, the hospital operator’s ownership, and the nonprofit’s investments must be traced through their respective instruments and financial records. [1] [2] [4]
Read the underlying research
Signed trust indenture
January 3, 1966. The 13-page instrument includes trustee powers, rules governing the trust estate, termination provisions and the City’s signed acceptance.
Executive summary
November 8, 2026. The consolidated chronology, financial distinctions, oversight status, source register and priority records.
Initial research memorandum
May 28, 2026. The earlier research inventory and governance questions. Use the November summary for updated verification and the correction to the 2016 vote account.
Shawnee’s hospital then and now
The two photos above are the source photographs supplied for the page. The header is a designed graphic based on the photographs. Exact capture dates are unverified.
From the hospital trust to the modern hospital system
| Date | Event and source |
|---|---|
| Jan. 3, 1966 | James D. Loudon, M.D., is named trustor. The City accepts the beneficial interest. Articles VI–IX address trustee selection, recordkeeping, trustee powers, beneficiary rights and termination. [1] |
| Nov. 22, 1976 | The City’s board guide identifies an amendment on this date. The executed amendment and any later amendments are needed to establish exactly how the original terms changed. [8] |
| 1989–1992 | Avedis dates SHA’s conveyance of hospital assets to MidAmerica HealthCare to 1989 and the operating name change to Shawnee Regional Hospital to 1992. It reports that SHA continued in a financing role after the conveyance. Catholic Health World reports that SSM leased and helped manage a predecessor facility before Unity formed. The recorded deeds, leases and agreements would verify the assets conveyed and any rights retained. [4] [6] |
| 2002–2004 | Avedis dates the consolidation of Shawnee Regional and Mission Hill Memorial under Community Health Partners to 2002. The minutes index records Resolution 6160 on December 16, 2002, a proposed certificate-of-need ordinance tabled June 2, 2003, and a November 15, 2004 trustee reappointment item involving Charles Skillings and John Robinson. [3] [4] |
| Nov. 17, 2008 | The index records approval of a planned unit development and preliminary and final Unity Health Center plats with conditions. Ownership of the affected parcels requires the recorded deed chain. [3] |
| Apr. 2 and 16, 2012 | The index attributes to City Attorney Marianne Kern a briefing stating the City had no ownership interest in Unity and would receive no sale proceeds. The underlying outside counsel opinion was unavailable for review. A separate April 16 entry notes discussion of trust status. [3] |
| June–July 2012 | SSM acquired Unity hospital assets. Its community health needs assessment gives July 1 as the date the hospital joined SSM. A separate June transaction involved the Shawnee Medical Center Clinic. The FCC also recorded a radio-license assignment from Community Health Partners, doing business as Unity Health Center, to St. Anthony Shawnee Hospital. [5] [6] [10] |
| Oct.–Nov. 2012 | The index records deferral of the Shawnee Medical Center final plat on October 15 and approval of a replat on November 19 to correct a prior plat error. [3] |
| 2016–2022 | The index records a 2016 trustee appointment debate, a 2020 hospital healthcare-worker proclamation and a 2022 acknowledgment of SHA trustee resignations. [3] |
| 2025–2026 | The City’s receipt and referral of an October 2025 whistleblower complaint were publicly reported in May 2026. Secondary meeting accounts describe discussion of a proposed forensic-audit resolution in July 2026. A separate October request seeks appointment and governing records. [2] [9] |
What the money figures measure
Debt authorization and repayment
The 1966 indenture says debt issued by the trustees is payable from the trust estate and calls for project instruments to identify property pledged for the debt. Resolution 6160 appears in the index as a unanimous City authorization for up to $4.5 million on a negotiated basis without competitive bidding. The signed note and security instruments would establish the borrower, pledged collateral, any guarantees and the debt’s disposition. [1] [3]
Purchase price, retained investments and pledged support
Contemporaneous reporting described roughly $100 million in Avedis assets. Its first CEO said Community Health Partners kept its investments and described a $35 million pledge for hospital expansion. Catholic Health World reported the purchase price was undisclosed. Avedis says SSM assumed certain liabilities, including outstanding bonds. The closing statement and grant payment records would establish the amounts and terms. [4] [6]
| Fiscal year ended | Reported net assets | Filing context |
|---|---|---|
| June 2012 | $94,029,113 | Form 990 data around the hospital transition. |
| June 2013 | $99,990,301 | Form 990 data for the same EIN after the transition. |
| June 2025 | $106,642,124 | Form 990-PF data also show $4,064,356 in revenue and $4,757,714 in charitable disbursements. |
These are fiscal year-end net assets reported in IRS filing extracts. A sale reconciliation would separate consideration, liabilities assumed, closing adjustments and retained investments. [7]
Community investments. Avedis identifies the 2016 West Tower dedication, a 2018 mammography grant and a 2021 Comprehensive Breast Center grant. It also describes support for Shawnee’s municipal pool and trails. The grant agreements and payment records would show the terms, timing and amounts of individual commitments. [4]
Beneficiary rights, trustees and appointments
Rights under the original indenture
Article VIII limits the City’s claim to trust property during operation. Article IX provides that the remaining trust estate goes to the City after debts, expenses and obligations are paid upon termination. The 2012 sale’s effect on that estate depends on the title and transaction records and on the trust terms in effect at the time. [1] [11]
The City’s September 2025 snapshot
The original instrument describes eight initial trustees and a trustee election process. The City’s later guide describes ten seats, six-year terms, appointments by the mayor with Commission confirmation and an annual September meeting at Avedis. The guide’s summary says there are no vacancies, while the roster lists a vacant seat. The executed amendment and dated appointment instruments would reconcile the records. [1] [8]
The 2016 appointment debate
The index records Commissioner Lesa Shaw raising questions about the application process. The livestream entry says a motion to table failed for lack of a second. The separate vote on the reappointments was 5–1. The November executive summary corrects the conflation of those two actions in part of the May memo. [2] [3]
Board service across institutions
The City’s dated roster and Avedis’s published board list both name Mark Finley, Jill Spencer, Angi Mohr and Josh Trimble. Avedis identifies Mohr with SSM St. Anthony Hospital – Shawnee. The lists reflect their respective publication dates. To evaluate a specific decision, match the appointment and voting records to disclosures, recusals and any documented financial interest. [4] [8]
| Listed end date | Seats or trustees named |
|---|---|
| Sept. 30, 2025 | Josh Trimble and one seat marked vacant |
| Dec. 31, 2027 | Mark Finley, Kathy Laster and Dr. Stephen Trotter |
| Sept. 30, 2028 | Dr. John Robinson, Jill Spencer and Ron Sharp |
| Sept. 30, 2029 | Tina Hanna and Angi Mohr |
These dates are reproduced from the City guide. Appointment, resignation and vacancy records are needed to confirm later membership. [8]
The complaint referral and the records still needed
May 2026 news reports, citing the City, say a complaint alleging historical financial misconduct relating to SHA was received October 5, 2025 and referred to the Pottawatomie County District Attorney, whose office opened an investigation. Secondary accounts of the July 20, 2026 City Commission meeting describe discussion of a proposed resolution supporting the investigation and seeking a forensic audit, with no action reported on the item. The November 8 review found no public disposition, charging decision or completed SHA forensic audit. [2] [9]
City request 26-699. Filed October 14, 2026 for SHA appointments, reappointments, terms, confirmation and governing records covering January 1, 2017 through October 14, 2026. The October portal snapshot showed it open. Subsequent production and current status remain unverified in this review. [2]
Priority records
- Trust amendments and land records. Obtain the executed 1976 amendment, any later amendments, the 1989 transfer agreement and recorded deeds. Identify the operative appointment provisions and trace the assets and rights conveyed.
- Series 2002 note records. Obtain signed Resolution 6160, SHA’s authorizing action, the closing transcript, the note and security instruments, expenditure records and any assumption, refinancing or release.
- 2012 closing and endowment records. Obtain the purchase agreement, closing statement, schedules of assets and assumed liabilities, opening endowment balances and releasable records of the City’s legal review.
- SHA financial and meeting records. Obtain annual financial statements, audit or agreed-upon-procedures reports where applicable, filing acknowledgments, trustee minutes and any later forensic-audit authorization. Verify reporting requirements against the law and trust terms in effect in each period.
- Trustee appointment and decision records. Obtain dated rosters, nominations, confirmed appointments, terms, recorded votes, conflict disclosures and any recusals related to specific transactions.
Article VI(3) of the original indenture calls for trustee minutes, accurate financial records and public inspection. Oklahoma’s public-trust, open-meeting and open-records statutes provide the framework for reviewing specific duties, reporting thresholds and applicable exemptions. The referral establishes the existence of an allegation and a review process. Its merits depend on the evidence and any official findings. [1] [9] [11]
How to verify the record
The signed indenture establishes the original trust terms. The Shawnee Minutes dataset helps locate meeting items and recordings. Avedis and SSM describe their institutional histories, while contemporaneous reporting and public filings corroborate specific details. Transaction terms and historical votes are marked according to the records available for review.
- Signed governing instrument. SHA Trust Indenture (PDF), January 3, 1966. See Articles I–III and V–IX and the City’s acceptance on page 13.
- Project research. November 8 executive summary (PDF) and May 28 research memo (PDF). The October NextRequest snapshot was reviewed for the appointment request status.
- Meeting research index and recording locators. Shawnee Minutes Dataset & Research Archive. Key index IDs include 3011 (2002 financing), 3327 (2003 ordinance), 4455 (2004 appointments), 34202 (2008 planning), 14922, 34822 and 34865 (April 2012 meetings), 35269 and 35343 (2012 plats), 27942 and 27944 (2016 motions), 6384 (2020 proclamation), and 6905 (2022 resignations). Recording locators include April 2, 2012, at 1:11:34, October 17, 2016, and March 7, 2022. The cited historical actions rely on indexed entries where approved minutes were unavailable.
- Foundation account. Avedis Foundation’s organizational history and published board list.
- Hospital account. SSM Health’s 2012 community health needs assessment (PDF), executive summary and hospital background.
- Contemporaneous reporting. The Journal Record on Avedis’s assets and hospital expansion pledge and the separate clinic acquisition. Catholic Health World on the Unity acquisition and undisclosed price.
- IRS filing extracts. ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, EIN 73-1347360 and the FY2025 Form 990-PF.
- City board guide. City Advisory Boards Website Information (PDF), updated September 30, 2025, Shawnee Hospital Authority entry.
- Referral and meeting coverage. KFOR’s May 2026 reporting, KOCO’s May 2026 reporting, July 20 meeting summary and the City recording locator.
- Federal licensing record. FCC July 2012 public notice (PDF), page 7, call sign WPVT760.
- Oklahoma law. Title 60 public-trust provisions (PDF), including §§ 176, 178, 178.13, 180 and 180.1. The Oklahoma Department of Libraries provides indexes to the Open Meeting Act and the Open Records Act.