Florida hospital sues patient refusing to leave room 5 months after discharge
A hospital in Tallahassee is taking legal action to remove a patient who has remained in her room for months after being discharged.
Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare filed a lawsuit earlier this month against a woman who has continued staying in Room 373 since her official discharge last October. In the complaint, the hospital asked a Tallahassee judge to order the patient to leave the room. The hospital is also requesting permission for the Leon County Sheriff’s Office to assist in removing her if she refuses to go.
According to the filing, the woman was originally admitted for medical care but doctors determined she no longer needed hospital-level treatment. A formal discharge order was issued on Oct. 6. Despite that decision, the hospital says the patient has refused to leave.
Hospital officials say her continued presence is affecting patient care. The lawsuit states that the room she occupies could be used for other people who require acute medical treatment, and keeping it unavailable has forced the hospital to redirect resources that would otherwise be used for incoming patients.
The hospital says staff have made several attempts to arrange her departure. They have contacted family members and offered to provide transportation so she could obtain the identification documents she needs. However, the filing claims those efforts have not led to her leaving the facility.
Rachel Givens, an attorney representing the hospital, declined to comment on the case Wednesday. Hospital spokeswoman Macy Layton also said the facility could not discuss details because the matter is currently being litigated. She did not answer questions sent by email, including what type of identification the patient needed.
The lawsuit does not explain what condition the woman was treated for or how much she owes the hospital. It also does not detail how she has remained in the hospital room for more than five months after her discharge.
Court records show that the patient does not currently have an attorney and is representing herself in the case. Phone numbers listed for her in online records are no longer active, and a call placed to her hospital room was not answered.
A virtual court hearing on the dispute is scheduled for later this month.
Federal law requires hospitals that receive Medicare funding to provide emergency treatment to anyone who arrives at an emergency department with a serious medical condition, regardless of whether the patient has insurance or can pay for care. These requirements fall under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, and hospitals can face investigations from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services if they fail to comply.
Once doctors determine that a patient is stable and no longer needs hospital-level treatment, the person can be discharged. According to federal guidelines, that discharge must include instructions for appropriate follow-up care that can be handled outside the hospital.
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