Personal Injury Law

New Report Proves Perils of Physician-Owned Hospitals

By Greg Webb

A new report, made by federal investigators, shows most physician-owned hospitals were not properly equipped to handle medical emergencies. This investigation took place due to the increase in physician-owned hospitals in the United States, where the number of facilities has increased from 110 in 2001, to 180 in 2007. The report shows 55 percent of the 109 physician-owned hospitals under investigation were equipped with only one bed in the Emergency Department. Fewer than a third of the hospitals in question had a doctor on-hand at all times, and 34 percent relied on dialing 911 to get help for a patient when needed. These hospitals also failed to meet requirements made by Medicare, which require a registered nurse be on duty at all times and at least one doctor be on call if none are in the hospital. The federal center for Medicare and Medicaid also state hospitals are not supposed to call 911 as a substitution for their own first-line emergency care.

Full post as published by Charlottesville Personal Injury Lawyer on January 30, 2008 (boomark / email).