Patient safety incident could cost Texas hospital government funding

A Texas hospital could lose government funding going forward as a result of putting a patient in "immediate jeopardy" of harm, although the details of the case weren't released, The Dallas Morning News reported. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services sent a letter to Dallas County-based Parkland Memorial Hospital CEO Fred Cerise, M.D., that unless the hospital makes immediate improvements it will lose funding on Sept. 6. The hospital will undergo a system-wide survey before that date, according to the article. In the meantime, the hospital said it's making changes, such as reviewing how the emergency department calls in specialty consultants for patients; defining a process for social workers and case managers on how to handle complex patients who require expert care; and improving patient discharge planning. Article