PA Hospital Turned Stroke Victim Away

By Walter F. Roche Jr.

In an apparent violation of federal law, a Pennsylvania hospital turned away a stroke patient forcing emergency responders to travel more than 40 miles to another health facility.
According to a recently released report from the state Health Department the ambulance carrying the patient had already pulled into the hospital's emergency room unloading area when the crew was diverted to another facility.
The incident occurred on March 19 at UPMC-Bedford. The report states that after being turned away from the Bedford facility, the patient was taken to UPMC-Altoona, some 43 miles away.
Citing a federal law, the report states that when a health facility has an emergency service "it shall provide prompt examination or treatment."
"If an individual comes to any portion of a medical facility" a medical screening and examination must be performed," the report states, citing the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act.
UPMC-Bedford officials did not respond to questions concerning the incident and the inspection report. They did file a plan of correction in which they promised to re-train staffers and perform audits to ensure staffers followed proper procedures.
State surveyors, acting on a complaint, examined records at the Bedford hospital and the Bedford Area Ambulance Service. The 47-bed facility boasts on its website that it provides "Certified Acute Stroke Care" 24/7.
The records showed the ambulance service contacted the hospital around 7:15 p.m. notifying officials there that they were en-route.
Hospital officials responded by asking if the patient could be diverted to Altoona.
"You are the closest hospital and I don't feel comfortable going to Altoona," the EMT responded, according to the report.
Moments later the ambulance crew told the UPMC employee that they were already at the hospital and were pulling in to the parking lot.
"We are here at the hospital now," the EMT stated.
"I still think you should go there now," the hospital official said, noting that the Altoona facility had an interventional radiology laboratory.
In a subsequent interview the employee told state surveyors that he knew about the federal law but he didn't realize the ambulance was already at the hospital.
"I would never turn anyone away or put a patient at risk. I thought I made the best decision," the hospital official added.
"I didn't believe they were outside. If I thought that they were there, I would have treated the patient. I realize it was a mistake," the employee told state inspectors.
The state report also faulted the hospital for failing to even enter the patient's name into its records.
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