BY JOSEPH B. NADEAU

WOONSOCKET — Superior Court Judge Michael A. Silverstein has a plan for Landmark Medical Center and should issue an order announcing it today.

Silverstein said Thursday in his courtroom that a review of candidates for a special adviser to the hospital has been completed and he is now in the process of negotiating contractual terms with that party.
Landmark is already under the supervision of a court-appointed Special Master, Jonathan Savage, a Pawtucket attorney, but the new adviser sought by the court would have greater experience in health care facilities and fiscal turnaround for such institutions.
The talks with the prospective Landmark healthcare advisor began after Silverstein, Department of Health Director David Gifford and Attorney General Patrick Lynch conducted interviews with five finalists for the work over the past two weeks, Silverstein said.
In all Silverstein said he had received interest from 27 different companies or individuals interested in the work and settled on the five to be considered as finalists after an analysis of their qualifications and related documentation.
“I can say that all of the folks we interviewed were highly qualified and the selection of a finalist was a difficult task,” he said.
“The court made the selection and the court appreciates the input given by Attorney General Lynch and Dr. Gifford,” Silverstein said.
Silverstein said he would be ready to issue the order announcing the Landmark overseer once all the legal documents covering the contract had been drawn.
 All of the finalists and firms were “highly qualified” in the area of health care operations, according to Silverstein.
 The discussion of new court consultant came after Savage gave Silverstein a status report on Landmark.
 The hospital has been under court supervision since June 25 as a move to protect its assets while court and state officials consider a plan to resolve its current financial difficulties.
 Landmark is facing an October payment on outstanding bond debt of more than $12.5  million and needs to stabilize its finances to meet that commitment. The hospital is reported to have sufficient cash reserves to make the $1.4 million October payment but needs to address its financial standing overall if it is to remain in operation beyond the end of the year.
 While under Court control, the hospital has been working to restructure its costs even as it continues to provide services to residents of its northern Rhode Island and nearby Massachusetts market.
 Since his last report to court a week ago, Savage said he was pleased to report “things remain stable at Landmark.”
 The hospital has continued to maintain its normal patient base and employees and members of the community have “come together and been very supportive” of the court supervision process, he said.
 The hospital had no financial surprises in the past week and remains engaged in talks with “a number of potential alliance partners,” Savage said. “Those discussions have been very positive,” he added.
 Landmark has already held talks with Memorial Hospital in Pawtucket over a possible merger of the two organizations and the hospital has also been talking with other prospective partners both in Rhode Island and nearby Massachusetts, according observers of the court proceedings.
 The hearing before Silverstein was attended by a number of parties conducting business with Landmark including Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island, Thundermist Healthcare, its bonding company and a bonding assurance firm, state Department of Health staff, representatives of Patrick Lynch’s office and Chris Callaci, a representative of the United Nurses & Allied Professionals union representing Landmark staff.
Callaci said his group had a similar goal to that held by Savage, the Department of Health and the Attorney General’s office.
 “I think we all hope that when this process is all set and done, Landmark will still be an acute care facility up there in that part of the state,” he said.
Driving that interest, according to Callaci, is Landmark’s role as the third busiest emergency room operation in the state and its longstanding role of providing acute health care to the large elderly population in the northern Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts area, Callaci said.
 And while its service to the region’s under-insured residents has been a contributing factor to the hospital’s fiscal troubles, Callaci said that role is also an important for those without other options for health care.
 Callaci said his organization is supportive of the court effort to stabilize Landmark and address the hospital’s long-term financial problems, but the union also wants to see that Landmark’s contractual agreements with its members are honored in any restructuring process.
 Hopefully, the Court’s selection of a nationally-recognized healthcare expert to run Landmark will address all of the goals of stabilizing the hospital and assuring its future, according Callaci.
 “A lot of people up that community rely on that hospital for their healthcare,” he said.
Landmark is also taking that view of the ongoing process, according to Bill Fischer, the hospital’s spokesman.
 “The end result should be that the hospital is well-run, that is finances are stabilized, that its assets are protected and we continue to deliver high quality healthcare to the community while seeking out a strategic alliance or partnership,” he said.
 “The employees of Landmark and the citizens of northern Rhode Island should know we remain very confident that we will preserve this institution,” he said.