Yadkin Valley Community Hospital in Yadkinville, N.C., closed last month with little notice from hospital administrators, and county officials have now filed a federal lawsuit against the privately owned company that manages the hospital.
Yadkin County owns the building the hospital operates out of, but HMC/CAH, based in Kansas City, Mo., leases and operates the facility. HMC/CAH is scheduled to run the hospital until July 31, and Yadkin county officials are requesting HMC/CAH along with its parent company and local operational unit be found in civil and criminal contempt for breaching its lease contract by shutting down the hospital in May.
In their complaint, county officials state, "Defendants' intentional and callous conduct put the lives of local residents at risk simply to improve their bottom line." For example, the county alleges that despite HMC/CAH's decision to close the hospital, the company refused to make arrangements to ensure patients, including some who had urgent medical needs and expiring prescriptions, had alternative care arrangements.
The county is seeking an amount in excess of $25,000, among other relief, in its lawsuit.
More articles on healthcare industry lawsuits:
Texas hospital sues 3 major insurers over PPO network exclusion
Judge rules UPMC must offer in-network access to Highmark Medicare Advantage members
Cleveland Clinic hit with $400M lawsuit over Lakewood Hospital closure