Mercy Health-St. Elizabeth Youngstown (Ohio) Hospital is at risk of losing Medicare funding after CMS on Sept. 3 found the hospital — a Level I trauma center and primary stroke center — to be out of compliance with the program’s conditions of participation.
In a letter to the hospital obtained by Becker’s, CMS cited noncompliance with the Medicare condition of participation related to patients’ rights.
“We have determined that the deficiencies are significant and limit your hospital’s capacity to render adequate care and ensure the health and safety of your patients,” CMS wrote in the letter to the hospital.
The letter did not specify deficiencies but was issued shortly after a patient fatally shot himself inside the hospital’s emergency department on Aug. 28, according to NBC affiliate WFMJ.
“The safety, security and well-being of our patients, visitors and staff is a top priority for Mercy Health. An isolated incident occurred on Aug. 28 within a contained area of St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital Emergency Department, and our team responded quickly and appropriately,” Mercy Health said in a statement following the incident. “Our facility remains a safe and secure environment where our teams continue to deliver compassionate care. Out of respect for patient privacy, we will not be providing further comment at this time.”
If the hospital does not make adequate corrections, it could lose its Medicare certification on Dec. 17.
Mercy Health said it is working to address the issues identified by the recent survey from the Ohio Department of Health.
“A recent survey finding at Mercy Health-St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital demonstrated areas to be addressed. We take this matter seriously and are focused on improving our processes as we develop a plan of action to address all concerns,” the health system said in a statement shared with Becker’s. “We take seriously our community’s trust and will continue to work tirelessly to care for our patients, support our care teams and facilitate continuous improvement.”
Becker’s has reached out to the Ohio Department of Health for comment and will update this story as more information becomes available.
