Here are five recent lawsuits involving hospitals or health systems.
1. An appellate court judge has ruled that New York's public Health and Hospitals Corporation can proceed with its announced 144 layoffs. Three labor unions had previously filed a lawsuit in New York County's Supreme Court, alleging the HHC layoffs would hurt patient and employee safety.
2. The New Jersey Supreme Court has refused to hear an appeal by Valley Hospital in Ridgewood, N.J., and Englewood (N.J.) Hospital and Medical Center to halt Hackensack (N.J.) University Medical Center's plans to reopen Pascack Valley Hospital in Westwood, N.J.
3. University Medical Center in Las Vegas, Nev., has agreed to pay a former employee $150,000 after she accused the hospital of failing to accommodate her claustrophobia.
4. Unite Here, a national labor union based in New York, has agreed to issue a formal apology and a $6 million settlement to Sacramento-based Sutter Health after it delivered approximately 11,000 postcards to Northern California residents in 2006, alleging the health system's linens were not always properly cleaned of feces, blood and other pathogens.
5. Salinas (Calif.) Valley Memorial Healthcare System is facing allegations that it violated state law when it held closed-door meetings to discuss a 132-page McKinsey report that cost $930,000 and included cost-cutting advice and recommendations for the hospital system to better position itself for a merger or partnership.
1. An appellate court judge has ruled that New York's public Health and Hospitals Corporation can proceed with its announced 144 layoffs. Three labor unions had previously filed a lawsuit in New York County's Supreme Court, alleging the HHC layoffs would hurt patient and employee safety.
2. The New Jersey Supreme Court has refused to hear an appeal by Valley Hospital in Ridgewood, N.J., and Englewood (N.J.) Hospital and Medical Center to halt Hackensack (N.J.) University Medical Center's plans to reopen Pascack Valley Hospital in Westwood, N.J.
3. University Medical Center in Las Vegas, Nev., has agreed to pay a former employee $150,000 after she accused the hospital of failing to accommodate her claustrophobia.
4. Unite Here, a national labor union based in New York, has agreed to issue a formal apology and a $6 million settlement to Sacramento-based Sutter Health after it delivered approximately 11,000 postcards to Northern California residents in 2006, alleging the health system's linens were not always properly cleaned of feces, blood and other pathogens.
5. Salinas (Calif.) Valley Memorial Healthcare System is facing allegations that it violated state law when it held closed-door meetings to discuss a 132-page McKinsey report that cost $930,000 and included cost-cutting advice and recommendations for the hospital system to better position itself for a merger or partnership.