Some Springfield (Vt.) Hospital physicians and staff have expressed concern over the hospital's new management contract with Brentwood, Tenn.-based Quorum Health Resources, claiming Quorum has an extensive track record of mismanagement and lawsuits, the VtDigger reports.
Springfield Hospital and its parent company, Springfield (Vt.) Medical Care Systems, hired Quorum to manage the institution after physicians, employes and community members said the hospital was roughly one year behind on paying its bills, the report states.
Under the three-month contract, which went into effect Dec. 4, Quorum will conduct an evaluation of Springfield Hospital's operations, finances and strategic direction, and help the hospital find a new management team after its CEO and CFO abruptly quit last month.
Some physicians and staff have expressed concern over the numerous lawsuits filed against Quorum during the past two decades. The lawsuits allege the hospital manager engaged in negligence, fraud and secrecy, among other issues, according to the report. One Springfield Hospital physician told the VtDigger under the condition of anonymity that Quorum is "exactly like Springfield" and that "this is an internal coup and nothing has changed."
A Quorum spokesperson told the VtDigger the previous lawsuits represent "20-year-old information" and "old news," and that the company is under new leadership now. However, the most recent lawsuit against the company was filed by investors in 2016, alleging the hospital manager lied about its public statements to boost revenue, according to the report.
To access the full report, click here.
Editor's note: Becker's Hospital Review reached out to Springfield Hospital and its parent company for comment and will update the report as more information becomes available.