FOUNTAIN SPRINGS - The Pennsylvania Department of Health has ordered Saint Catherine Medical Center Fountain Springs not to accept new patients at this time, placing the hospital in a tougher financial situation.
However, the no new admissions order from the DOH still allows the hospital to keep operating.
"This facility has not been closed," said DOH Deputy Press Secretary Holli Senior late Monday afternoon.
The determination from DOH about no new patients to be admitted came last Friday, according to Senior.
"On March 23, the Department of Health completed a complaint investigation at Saint Catherine Medical Center to determine compliance with state licensure and federal Medicare and Medicaid regulations for hospitals," said Senior. "As a result of this investigation, the department discovered serious deficiencies and violations of applicable regulations that it felt posed a significant threat to the health and safety of the patients at the facility. Therefore, a ban on new admissions was imposed on the facility effective March 23, 2012."
Senior said the goal of the department is to ensure that all patients in Pennsylvania receive quality care. The DOH licenses and verifies compliance with state and federal health and safety standards in supervised health care facilities as mandated by law, including hospitals, nursing homes, home health/hospice agencies, certain primary care providers, ambulatory surgical facilities and intermediate care facilities for persons with developmental disabilities.
"The department conducts regular on-site surveys to assure health, safety, sanitation, fire and quality of care requirements and to identify deficiencies which may affect state licensure or eligibility for federal reimbursements under the Medicaid and Medicare programs," she said.
Problems at the hospital came to light last week when complaints were received by The Republican-Herald and The News-Item that employees were being paid late since the beginning of the year. Some employees spoke to the press on condition of anonymity that basic supplies used in the hospital's operation were in short supply at times.
In an interview last Wednesday. Saint Catherine's President/CEO Merlyn E. Knapp spoke of a problem with a vendor whose name was not disclosed, though he said it could become a legal matter.
On Monday, PPL Electric Utilities Corp., Allentown, filed a lawsuit against Saint Catherine's and five affiliate entities in county court.
The document PPL filed to start the lawsuit, a praecipe for summons, contained no details about the claim, but did have a demand for a jury trial. According to USLegal.com, "praecipe" is Latin for "to command," and is a written motion or request seeking some court action, especially a trial setting or an entry of judgment. It orders a defendant to do an act or explain why inaction is appropriate.
PPL attorney John M. Mulcahey, Scranton, could not be reached Monday for comment about the lawsuit.
In addition to the medical center, the other defendants named by PPL include Saint Catherine's Physician Services of Pennsylvania, LLC, Saint Catherine's Hospital of Pennsylvania, LLC, Saint Catherine's Healthcare Center, Saint Catherine's Physicians SVC, and Saint Catherine's Healthcare.
The SCMC Board of Directors held a special meeting Monday evening in the Susan Amedow Boardroom in the hospital. The meeting lasted about 90 minutes, with everyone leaving the room without making any comments.
SCMC Administrative Director Jennifer M. Pisarchick of Strategic Planning and Marketing, who attended the meeting, said no comment on the board meeting discussion.
"We have no comment. We're working on the issues," said Pisarchick.