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Brandon Regional may not lose federal funding

The hospital satisfies a federal agency with a plan to fix its problems with patient care.

By LISA GREENE
Published May 4, 2006

BRANDON - Brandon Regional Hospital has moved one step closer to preventing the loss of its federal funding, hospital officials said Wednesday.

Federal health officials threatened to cut off the hospital's Medicare funding after finding significant delays and other problems in patient care, including instances in which three patients died.

Since then, the hospital, owned by HCA Inc. of Nashville, has submitted an extensive plan to fix the problems cited by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

The federal agency had accepted the hospital's plan, except for its plans to fix emergency services. But it accepted that part of the plan Tuesday, said hospital spokeswoman Debra McKell.

Health officials still are slated to make an unannounced visit to the hospital before May 11 to inspect again. That visit hasn't yet occurred, said Lee Millman of the federal agency.

McKell declined to give details Wednesday on how the hospital has improved its plan to fix emergency services, and the plan was not immediately available from the federal agency.

"We remain confident we will get this corrected by that deadline," McKell said.

When federal officials visited in December and again in February, they found several problems with staffing, poor record-keeping and delays in giving treatment. One elderly woman who came in vomiting was found lying on the floor in the waiting room with a bowl.

Other problems included:

A diabetic patient who came to the emergency room Dec. 7 and died after a delay in getting fluids, insulin and other drugs.

A patient who came to the hospital Oct. 4 for a hernia repair and died after suffering symptoms of internal bleeding.

A patient who came to the emergency room July 5 and died two days later after delays in treatment.

[Last modified May 4, 2006, 00:59:16]