The patient, 48-year-old Donald Smith, died March 6 after a fight with a hospital security officer. Mr. Smith, who was admitted to the hospital with a gunshot wound to the arm, reportedly became combative while in the hospital, hitting a hospital security guard. After a struggle, hospital security personnel secured him face down on a gurney. Greenville County Coroner Parks Evans concluded Mr. Smith’s manner of death was homicide — one person being killed by another.
Sign up for our FREE E-Weekly for more coverage like this sent to your inbox!
Mr. Smith’s death led to a CMS investigation of Greenville Memorial Hospital. The agency determined the hospital was not in compliance with Medicare rules related to nursing services, patient rights and governing body. CMS will not make payment to the hospital for services provided to patients who are admitted after April 16 unless the problems are corrected.
In a statement on Greenville Memorial Hospital’s website, Scott M. Sasser, MD, chair of emergency medicine at Greenville Health System, said, “Nearly all action plan items have already been initiated, and we feel confident that CMS will find our plan — and its implementation — satisfactory.”
The hospital said its action plan for its emergency department includes increasing staffing, providing more intensive training and improving clinical documentation processes around patient care.
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division is investigating Mr. Smith’s death, and the security officers who were on duty at the hospital at the time of the incident no longer work at the hospital.
More articles on quality:
2 patient suicides in 8 days reported at Montefiore Medical Center
51 hospitals with the lowest heart attack readmission rates
New legislation aims to alter Maine Medical Center’s organ transplant policy: 8 things to know
At the Becker's 11th Annual IT + Revenue Cycle Conference: The Future of AI & Digital Health, taking place September 14–17 in Chicago, healthcare executives and digital leaders from across the country will come together to explore how AI, interoperability, cybersecurity, and revenue cycle innovation are transforming care delivery, strengthening financial performance, and driving the next era of digital health. Apply for complimentary registration now.