Regional Medical Center in Memphis, TN (also known as "The Med") is in danger of losing its federal funding in two weeks if hospital officials can't prove to regulators that they have fixed numerous problems at the hospital. Approximately $35 million of the hospital's annual income comes from Medicare payments. The threat is a response to several complaints, including suggestions of poor radiological services, the assaults of three patients and surgical mistakes. A spokesperson for the hospital said that officials had already addressed some of the problems and were working to fix others. If The Med were to lose its funding, it could cause serious problems for patients in the area, as the hospital has the area's only trauma and burn units. However, this could just be a fire drill. Though regulators will often threaten to pull a hospital's funding, they rarely follow through on the warning.
For more on The Med's alleged transgressions:
- read this article from the Knoxville News Sentinel