Swedish Health is being probed by the Department of Justice, the Seattle-based system's parent, Renton, Wash.-based Providence St. Joseph Health, disclosed in a quarterly earnings report.
The DOJ requested documents regarding certain arrangements, joint ventures and physician organizations pertaining to Swedish on July 22. Swedish said it is cooperating with justice officials and compiling documents. The system added the investigation will not have a material adverse effect on its finances.
This is the second time in recent years the system has come under investigation. In August 2017, CMS threatened to cut off Medicare and Medicaid funding at Swedish Health's Cherry Hill campus in Seattle after an investigation by the Washington Department of Health identified numerous patient safety lapses and a culture that discouraged employees from voicing concerns. The hospital addressed the issues.
In an emailed statement to Becker's, Swedish Health said: "Like all large institutions, Swedish is subject periodically to investigations and lawsuits. Per our policy, we are not able to discuss the specifics of any investigation. However, Swedish fully cooperates with all investigations."