ORLANDO, FLORIDA– The patient in room 373 refuses to leave.
Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare earlier this month filed a lawsuit against the patient, saying she had refused to leave her hospital room since being discharged last October. The hospital also asked a state judge in Tallahassee to issue an injunction ordering the patient to vacate the hospital room and authorizing the county sheriff’s office to assist if necessary.
The hospital said resources were diverted from helping other patients because of her occupying the room.
“The defendant’s continued occupancy of the bed prevents the bed from being used for patients who require acute care,” the hospital said in the lawsuit.
According to the lawsuit, the woman was admitted to the hospital for medical treatment and a formal discharge order was issued on October 6 after it was determined that she no longer required acute care services. The hospital made repeated efforts to coordinate her departure with family members and offered her transportation to obtain the necessary identification, the lawsuit said.
Rachel Givens, an attorney for the hospital, said Wednesday that the hospital had no comment. The hospital did not respond to emailed questions, including about what type of identification a patient would need. The lawsuit does not mention the reason for the patient’s treatment, her hospital bill, or how she was able to remain in the hospital for more than five months despite being discharged.
No attorney is listed for the self-represented patient. The phone numbers listed in the online patient database have been disconnected. No one answered the phone when a call was made to her hospital room.
An online court hearing on the lawsuit is scheduled for the end of the month.
Under the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Action Act, hospitals that receive Medicare funds must provide treatment that stabilizes anyone who comes to the emergency department with a medical emergency, even if the patient does not have insurance or the ability to pay. Hospitalizations may be investigated by the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for Violations.
A patient may be discharged from the hospital when doctors determine that any additional care can be provided as an outpatient, “provided that the individual receives a plan for appropriate follow-up care as part of the discharge instructions.” The federal agency said In the operations manual.
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