A business battle over the roles and control, ultimately, of the assets of a major medical company formed by doctors at the Joseph M. Still Burn Center at Doctors Hospital led a judge to appoint an independent chief executive officer.
In an order signed Thursday, July 7, Superior Court Chief Judge Daniel J. Craig put Walton “Buzzy” Johnson, former manager at the Augusta National, in control of the Burn and Reconstructive Centers of America, and Craig granted a temporary restraining order to prevent any other party from getting in Johnson’s way of taking complete control of the company.
The legal battle began following the death of Dr. Fred Mullins on June 14, 2020. His brother Frank Mullins took over the role of executor of Dr. Mullins’ estate and assumed the role of chairman of the Burn and Reconstructive Centers of America.
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The Burn and Reconstructive Centers of America provides management and services for doctors and hospitals across the United States specializing in the treatment of burns. Dr. Mullins and Dr. Abu Zaheed Hassan partnered to form the company. In 2016, that company, through Dr. Mullins, entered into a contract with Medical Collections Systems for billing and payment management.
Medical Collections Systems now contends that Burn and Reconstructive Centers of America owes it nearly $4 million.
In the order signed Thursday, the judge placed Johnson in control of the Burn and Reconstructive Centers of America. Johnson is now the interim chief executive officer. According to the order, he is to have complete access and control of all company assets, bank accounts, property, revenue, and the responsibility to make payments to employees and creditors. He is in charge of everything not related to the practice of medicine, according to Craig’s order.
Johnson is to receive access to all financial and business records, all real property owned or leased, and control of who is allowed onto property owned or leased by the company, according to Craig’s order. Johnson is also empowered to retain or hire whomever he believes necessary to operate the company.
Sandy Hodson is a staff reporter covering courts for The Augusta Press. Reach her at sandy@theaugustapress.com.
