The Tri-State Pain Institute has filed for chapter 11 protection as it faces a $1.7 million debt that could have led to the repossession of the clinic’s medical equipment, GoErie.com reported. The pain institute is also under the mounting threat of lawsuits stemming from a 2017 MRSA outbreak that state and county health officials linked to injection practices at the clinic. Tri-State Pain Institute will be able to remain open while the bankruptcy proceedings take place. The petition, filed on Thursday in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Erie, reveals deep financial troubles at the pain institute, including $6 million in debt to Wells Fargo for equipment and inventory. The petition estimates the business’s assets at between $500,000 and $1 million; its debts are estimated to be between $1 million and $10 million. The pain institute was projected to bring in more than $5 million in 2019 and about the same amount in 2020, according to motions filed with the petition. The clinic employs 27 people, according to the motions.
