FTC appealing judge's Ukiah decision

Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is filing an appeal in an antitrust case involving the not-for profit Ukiah Valley Medical Center. The FTC is appealing Judge Lewis Parker's decision that Ukiah Valley Medical Center's 1988 acquisition of Ukiah General Hospital for $5.9 million does not violate Section 7 of the Clayton Act or present any anti-competitive threats. Differences in market share definition and the subsequent analysis the acquisition's impact on the area hospital market by Judge Parker and the FTC are the reasons the FTC is appealing the original decision.