Holy Cross Hospital Agreed to Pay $85,000 for Allegedly Violating Patient Dumping Statute by Failing to Provide an Appropriate Medical Screening Examination

On October 5, 2023, Holy Cross Hospital (Holy Cross), Chicago, Illinois, entered into a $85,000 settlement agreement with OIG. The settlement agreement resolves allegations that, based on OIG’s investigation, Holy Cross violated the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) when it failed to provide an appropriate medical screening examination to patient M.N. on October 16, 2022. Specifically, Holy Cross failed to register M.N. upon arrival to the triage area in the emergency department (ED) accompanied by paramedics and, when M.N. began exhibiting aggressive behaviors, security officers escorted M.N. out of the emergency department and prevented M.N.’s re-entry. Nursing staff spoke to M.N. while M.N. was outside the ED but the ED physician was not alerted of M.N.’s arrival and no assessment of M.N. was performed by ED personnel prior to law enforcement personnel removing M.N. from the premises. M.N. was brought back to the Holy Cross ED approximately five hours later on October 16, 2022, after suffering cardiac arrest at M.N.’s home. Efforts to resuscitate M.N. were unsuccessful and M.N. expired. Deputy Branch Chief Nicole Caucci represented OIG.

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