From MetroHealth's fired CEO suing over alleged open meetings law violations, to CHI St. Vincent Hot Springs settling disability discrimination violations, here are eight hospital lawsuits and settlements Becker's has reported on since Nov. 8:
1. Fired CEO sues MetroHealth over alleged open meetings law violations
Akram Boutros, MD, who was fired as president and CEO of Cleveland-based MetroHealth System, has filed a lawsuit against the organization's board of trustees and board Chair Vanessa Whiting. In the suit, he alleges the board violated Ohio's Open Meetings Act and the board bylaws and asks the court to nullify his termination for cause.
Camden, N.J.-based Cooper Health System has agreed to pay $625,000 to settle allegations it discriminated against 64 female, Black and Hispanic applicants for per diem nurse positions and 337 individuals employed in supervisor, nursing and administrative positions by paying them less than comparable male and white employees.
3. AG wants Crozer, Prospect held in contempt and fined for hospital closure
Pennsylvania's attorney general's office filed a petition to have Springfield-based Crozer Health and its parent Prospect Medical Holdings held in contempt and fined $100,000 per day for violating a court order prohibiting the closure of Delaware County Memorial Hospital pending further order by the court.
4. Former employees amend lawsuit against defunct Florida hospital over layoffs
Former employees of the now defunct ShorePoint Health Venice (Fla.) filed an amended lawsuit in Florida federal court against the hospital for allegedly violating the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act. The amended lawsuit argues the employees' termination "violated the WARN Act not only by failing to provide advance notice of the plant closing, but also by failing to make transfer offers prior to closing the plant."
5. Pharmacy tech files suit against Sparrow Health over retirement plan fees
A pharmacy technician filed a lawsuit against Lansing, Mich.-based Sparrow Health, accusing the system of "excessive" recordkeeping and administration fees for the system's retirement plan.
6. 'We cannot allow hospitals … to break bank accounts': N.C. attorney general urges HCA probe
North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein encouraged federal courts to move forward with an antitrust lawsuit against Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare. Asheville, N.C.-based Mission Health and its parent company, HCA, are the subjects of three lawsuits alleging they engage in anticompetitive practices, including consolidation across North Carolina markets that allow it to charge double the typical costs of service.
7. CHI hospital settles with feds over disability discrimination allegation
CHI St. Vincent Hot Springs (Ark.) settled allegations that the hospital did not offer effective communications resources for deaf patients. Under the agreement, CHI St. Vincent Hot Springs will offer patients who are deaf or hard of hearing free and timely access to on-site interpreters and video remote interpreting services, as necessary.
8. $21M verdict levied against physicians, nurse after undiagnosed disease led to infant's death
A jury awarded a woman $21 million in a verdict against two physicians and a nurse practitioner at Jackson Hospital in Montgomery, Ala., seven years after her son died from an undiagnosed bowel disease.