Seattle-based Swedish Health's Cherry Hill campus is no longer at risk of losing its Medicare contract after CMS officials determined the hospital is in compliance with Medicare and Medicaid requirements, according to The Seattle Times.
CMS threatened to cut off Medicare and Medicaid funding in August at the Cherry Hill campus following an investigation by the Washington Department of Health, which identified numerous patient safety lapses and a culture that discouraged employees from voicing concerns. The campus had 90-days to resolve the issues cited by the state Department of Health.
To keep federal funding for the Cherry Hill campus, Swedish Health had to submit a corrective action plan to CMS. Specific details regarding the plan of action that restored the hospital's Medicare status have yet to be released, according to the report. However, the hospital said that many of the deficiencies were already addressed when the termination notice was made public.
While the hospital had its Medicare contract fully restored, Swedish Health Cherry Hill continues to face an investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice, which is separately investigating concerns over patient care lapses, financial incentives for surgeons and appropriateness of surgeries, which were revealed in a Seattle Times investigative report.