Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services put Texas General Hospital in Grand Prairie on notice after finding that the facility endangered patients by not providing some services and allowed staff to provide care they are not qualified to give, according to Modern Healthcare.
Federal and state auditors made surprise visits to the hospital earlier this year, finding several deficiencies that could result in losing federal reimbursement from CMS. “The (hospital’s) governing body failed to provide a safe setting for patients in that there is no adequate staff to care for the patients, and no supplies and medications needed to provide safe care to patients,” the auditors wrote in their reports obtained by Modern Healthcare.
The report says that problems included stroke victims not receiving inspections because no one was present to read a CT scan, radiology and respiratory services not being offered because unpaid staff resigned, an insufficient number of nurses, and EMTs performing nursing duties. The hospital has not yet responded to inquiries.
Texas General is no stranger to headlines. In 2015, a white paper rated the hospital 11th in the country for charging beyond what Medicare reimburses. Then in 2016, a federal judge ruled that the hospital could continue its suit against UnitedHealthcare, as the hospital says the insurer was “drastically underpaying” for around 2,000 patients’ procedures.
Read the entire Modern Healthcare story here.
