Federal officials say Spartanburg Medical Center violated the Emergency Medical Care and Labor Act.
Spartanburg Medical Center reached a $100,000 settlement on Nov. 12, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Spartanburg Medical Center violated the Emergency Medical Care and Labor Act by improperly transferring patients, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.
“While we did not admit liability, we entered into a settlement agreement with the Office of the Inspector General to resolve this matter,” Spartanburg Medical Center said in a statement.
“Spartanburg Medical Center takes compliance with all federal regulations very seriously, including the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA),” SMC said in a statement. “Spartanburg Medical Center is committed to patient safety and regulatory compliance, and our top priority remains providing the highest quality care to every patient who comes through our doors.”
The settlement stems from an incident in May 2024, when the hospital allegedly transferred a patient with a large hematoma in his left carotid artery and active bleeding from a previous surgery that had been performed at another hospital eight days earlier, the report said.
A hospital staff member described the patient as having “severe, hard swelling on the left side and a palpable pulse in the neck.” “I’ve never seen such a big, pulsating (swelling)… I’ve worked in several hospital emergency rooms,” another staff member said, according to the report.
SMC doctors ordered tests and ensured that the patient’s airway was clear before calling the vascular surgeon on call.
Federal officials said the surgeon did not come to SMC in person to evaluate the patient or provide the necessary stabilizing treatment for the patient’s emergency medical condition. Instead, the doctor on duty asked the hospital to send the patient back to the previous hospital.
The U.S. Public Health Office said the benefits of transferring patients do not outweigh the risks because SMC has the ability to provide stable care. These risks include the patient potentially experiencing loss of airway, respiratory failure, stroke resulting in permanent disability, or death without immediate medical attention.
This article originally appeared in The Herald: Spartanburg Medical Center fined for emergency transfer violations
