State officials ordered Phoenix-based Hacienda HealthCare to hire a third-party manager to oversee operations at a care facility where a patient in a vegetative state gave birth last month, reports NBC News.
Arizona Department of Economic Security Director Michael Trailor and Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System Director Jami Snyder made the request in a letter to Hacienda HealthCare's CEO Jan. 16. The facility must pay out of pocket for an outside manager to "monitor and oversee the operations and appropriate delivery of healthcare services," according to the letter.
Hacienda must hire the third-party manager by Jan. 23 and ensure the manager is in place by Jan. 30. The state must also approve Hacienda's hire.
Hacienda HealthCare said its board of directors has taken the letter under advisement and "remains fully committed to ensuring the safety of its patients," in a statement cited by NBC News.
"The Board is considering the best possible option forward — for Hacienda's patients and their families, for the Hacienda team and for the organization," the statement said. "We will respond to the state in short order, per the guidelines outlined by regulators."