Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare has filed a lawsuit against a patient who has refused to leave her hospital room for more than five months after being formally discharged in October. The hospital is seeking a state court injunction ordering the patient to vacate Room 373 and authorizing the Leon County sheriff’s office to assist with removal if necessary.
“Defendant’s continued occupancy prevents use of the bed for patients needing acute care,” the hospital said in the lawsuit. The hospital claims resources have been diverted from helping other patients because of her occupation of the room since the discharge order was issued Oct. 6.
According to the lawsuit, the woman was admitted to Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare for medical treatment, and a formal discharge order was issued after it was determined that she no longer needed acute care services. The hospital has repeatedly made efforts to coordinate her departure with family members and offered transportation to obtain necessary identification, the lawsuit said.
Rachel Givens, an attorney for the hospital, said the hospital had no comment when contacted. The hospital didn’t respond to emailed questions, including about what type of identification the patient needed or details about her medical treatment.
The lawsuit doesn’t specify what the patient was treated for, what her hospital bill was, or how she was able to remain at the hospital for more than five months despite being discharged. No attorney was listed for the patient, who is representing herself in the case.
Phone numbers listed in an online database for the patient were disconnected, and no one answered when a call was put through to her room at the hospital. The unusual case highlights potential gaps in hospital discharge procedures and patient accountability under current healthcare regulations.
Under the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, hospitals that receive Medicare funds must provide treatment that stabilizes anyone coming to an emergency department with an emergency medical condition, even if the patient doesn’t have insurance. However, this federal requirement doesn’t address situations where patients refuse to leave after being medically cleared for discharge.
An online court hearing on the lawsuit is scheduled for the end of the month, where a Leon County judge will determine whether to grant the hospital’s request for an injunction to remove the patient from Room 373.