Big South Fork Medical Center Agreed to Pay $60,000 for Allegedly Violating Patient Dumping Statute by Failing to Provide Appropriate Medical Screening Examinations

On September 24, 2024, Scott County Community Hospital, d/b/a Big South Fork Medical Center (BSF), Oneida, Tennessee, entered into a $60,000 settlement agreement with OIG. The settlement agreement resolves allegations that BSF violated the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA). Based on its investigation, OIG concluded that BSF violated the requirements of EMTALA on two separate occasions during 2021 when it failed to provide appropriate medical screening examinations. On February 26, 2021, BSF failed to provide an appropriate medical screening examination to a patient that presented to BSF’s Emergency Department (ED) with severe epigastric pain, nausea, and vomiting. The only diagnostic test BSF’s ED performed was an abdominal x-ray. BSF failed to perform a CT scan, and blood tests routinely available to the ED including a complete blood count (CBC) and basic metabolic panel (BMP) to determine whether the patient had an emergency medical condition. BSF discharged the patient approximately 45 minutes after they presented to the ED. The patient was subsequently treated at another hospital for appendicitis. Additionally, on June 2, 2021, BSF failed to provide an appropriate medical screening examination to a second patient who presented to the ED via emergency medical service (EMS) with a history of anemia and weakness. BSF failed to provide a necessary CBC to evaluate the patient’s anemia. BSF discharged the patient with a diagnosis of “acute generalized weakness secondary to chronic anemia” and a differential diagnosis of “metabolic disorder” although no labs were performed to determine the cause of the patient’s symptoms, to evaluate anemia, or to investigate a possible metabolic disorder. Approximately 9 hours after discharge the patient presented to a different hospital and was treated for severe anemia. Senior Counsel Julie Redlinger represented OIG.

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