After leaving more than 300 patients without access to their medical records, two closed Arizona hospitals were ordered by a judge to temporarily reactivate their record systems and allow patient access, according to the Miami Herald.
Florence (Ariz.) Hospital at Anthem and Gilbert (Ariz.) Hospital, both bankrupt, were in a dispute with creditors about maintaining the EHRs. New York investment company Indigo-DLI Holdings was the hospitals' senior creditor, and Medhost oversaw the EHRs. Somerset Capital Group provided computer servers to host the EHRs.
The disagreement between the organizations and Resolute Commercial Services, appointed to manage the hospitals' affairs, left the patients without access to their records. Resolute and Medhost proposed an agreement to reopen the EHRs for 90 days, partially financed by Indigo and Resolute.
A Maricopa County judge OK'd the plan and ordered that $92,000 be taken from the hospitals' assets to pay for the reactivation of patient records which will be accessible for 90 days, roughly between March and May.
Indigo may appeal to stop the order.
"This is a very important issue," Indigo attorney Kyle Hirsch told the judge, according to the Herald. "If the patients want their records, they should pay a reasonable fee. But imposing the entire expense on Indigo doesn't seem fair."
Patients are expected to gain access to their records in the next few weeks.