Georgia Hospital Settles Case Involving Patient Dumping Allegation

On December 29, 2016, Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital (Phoebe Putney) in Albany, Georgia, entered into a $40,000 settlement agreement with OIG. The settlement agreement resolves allegations that Phoebe Putney violated the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act when it failed to accept an appropriate transfer. A 73-year-old man was transported to another hospital by EMS and presented with hematuria, bleeding at the site of his Foley catheter and abdominal pain. The patient required urological services that were unavailable at that hospital. The hospital requested Phoebe Putney accept the transfer of this patient. OIG alleged that Phoebe Putney's on-call urologist refused the transfer when Phoebe Putney had both the capability and capacity to treat the patient. Senior Counsel Sandra Sands represented OIG.

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