Layoffs at Dallas’ White Rock Medical Center have prompted the hospital to stop accepting patients transported by ambulance.
Last week, almost 160 staff were let go at the facility. The layoffs were prompted by ongoing litigation with the hospital’s former owner. The cuts represented over one-third of the facility’s 460-member staff, according to The Dallas Morning News. As a result, the medical center announced over the weekend that it can no longer accommodate patients transported by emergency medical services (EMS).
Terry Fokas, the hospital’s general counsel and chief restructuring officer, says the decision to stop accepting EMS patients was made to ensure that the layoffs did not impact existing care at the Level IV trauma center, per DMN.
The North Central Texas Trauma Regional Advisory Council, the administrative organization that manages emergency care in the region, is aware of the service stoppage.
“Our role is to ensure that this information has been sent to EMS agencies and other hospitals who are affected. We can confirm that this information has been posted in the appropriate communications platforms,” said the council’s director of information and support services, Jacob Seil, reported DMN.
White Rock Medical Center has experienced multiple ownership changes over the years. Most recently, Texas-based Heights Healthcare purchased the facility from Pipeline Health.
Of the 228 Texas hospitals rated and reviewed by the Leapfrog Group, only five were given a D rating for safety, White Rock Medical Center among them. The Leapfrog Group is an independent nonprofit organization that focuses on “driving quality, safety, and transparency in the U.S. health system,” according to its website.