Parkland has until November to fix its discharge policy and governing board, or the hospital will lose its Medicare funding, the Texas Department of State Health Services announced today. On the plus side, Parkland isn't placing patients who dare visit the hospital in jeopardy anymore, according to the feds.
"We have determined that while the immediate jeopardy to patient health and safety has been removed," the Texas Department of State Health Services wrote to the hospital today, "Parkland Health and Hospital System remains out of compliance with the following," which are vaguely described as "governing body" and "discharge planning."
It was just a few weeks ago when the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services sent a letter to Parkland saying the hospital risked to lose $400 million in federal funding because it had placed a patient in "immediate jeopardy."
In a CMS report we recently detailed, the CMS describes how Parkland discharged a homeless, suicidal patient too soon, to a homeless shelter that wasn't equipped to deal with his injuries. The patient, Todd Arko, opted to stay in a hotel instead of the shelter until he was arrested again.
Parkland is still threatened with the loss of Medicare and Medicaid funding on November 11 unless it fixes the remaining problems identified the letter.
See also: Federal Funding for Parkland Threatened after Staff Calls Cops on Homeless Patient Homeless, Suicidal Patient Parkland Tried to Discharge to a Shelter Is Now In Jail
