Another Dallas hospital under scrutiny

Methodist Dallas Medical Center could be kicked out of the Medicare program if it doesn't take adequate corrective steps, mainly in its emergency and trauma departments.

The CMS informed the hospital last week that Texas Department of State Health Services inspectors had found “serious deficiencies” that make the hospital ineligible for Medicare participation, according to a letter to the hospital's president, Laura Irvine (PDF), who was named to the position earlier this year.

Methodist Dallas is preparing a plan that addresses the issues raised by the CMS, most of which concern volume and space limitations in its emergency and trauma departments, according to a statement from Methodist Dallas. “Because of the great need already identified in this area, we announced a significant expansion and improvement project for our ED and trauma departments last week,” the statement says. “The ED has outgrown its current space, and we realize there are places that are not as private as we would like.”

The hospital formed a task force of clinicians and administrators to address the matter. The plan will be sent to the CMS and the Texas Department of State Health Services, and is due by Sept. 12. The hospital is to be surveyed again before Sept. 23, according to the CMS.

Methodist Dallas is the second hospital in the city to be subject to a potential loss of Medicare participation this month, as Parkland Hospital and Health System received a similar letter, and announced its CEO, Dr. Ron Anderson, is slated to leave at year-end.

Parkland is undergoing a follow-up inspection this week, according to a CMS spokesman.