N.Y. revoking Medicaid from one clinic network

Aug 12 2011

The N.Y. Health Department moves against a network of clinics run by a former N.Y. state senator while federal officials threaten to cut off funds to a well-known public hospital in Texas. In other hospital news, Dartmouth-Hitchcock hospital system in New Hampshire announces buy-outs as it tries to deal with a $96 million deficit, and nurses at a nonprofit hospital in Quincy, Mass., object to the proposal to sell the facility to a for-profit company.

The Associated Press/New York Times: Health Clinics Run By Espada Will Lose Aid
The State Health Department said Wednesday that it would revoke the eligibility for Medicaid reimbursement for a network of health clinics run by Pedro Espada Jr., a former state senator accused of looting it to finance a lavish lifestyle. In a letter to Mr. Espada, health officials said the network, Comprehensive Community Development Corporation, also known as Soundview HealthCare Network, had no compliance program as required to verify claims and costs. The state will revoke the network's Medicaid eligibility on Sept. 12 (8/10).

Dallas Morning News: Feds Find Conditions Pose 'Serious Threat' To Parkland Patients
Government regulators have warned that failures in care at Parkland Memorial Hospital pose "an immediate and serious threat to patient health and safety," and ordered it to submit a plan to remedy the problems within two weeks or lose federal funding (Moffeit and Dunklin, 8/10).

New Hampshire Public Radio: Dartmouth-Hitchcock Offers Buyouts To Hundreds Of Employees
Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center has announced that it will offer early retirement packages to about 725 employees. The deal is directed at non-clinical staff at all five of the center's locations, and is driven by the medical center's $96 million deficit. Dartmouth-Hitchcock spokesman Rick Adams says nearly half of that deficit is due to recent cuts in the state Medicaid program (Samuels, 8/10).

The Boston Globe: Nurses' Complaints Against Steward Complicates Sale Of Quincy Medical
A public hearing Tuesday on the sale of Quincy Medical Center to Steward Health Care turned into an unexpected labor dispute between members of the Massachusetts Nurses Association and the prospective buyer. The meeting, held at Quincy High School, was a requirement by the state Attorney General Martha Coakley and is customary for any non-profit entity — especially a hospital — that wishes to sell to a for-profit company. The entire $35 million acquisition needs to be reviewed by the AG's office prior to the purchase (Bartlett, 8/10).