U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Kevin Gross on Thursday ruled in favor of the $55 million sale of Hahnemann University Hospital's residency program to a coalition of six health systems, in today's bite-sized hospital and health industry news from Kentucky, Massachusetts, and Ohio.
- Kentucky: Twenty-three hospitals in Kentucky have filed a lawsuit against opioid makers and distributors, claiming "the defendants knowingly misrepresented the benefits and risks of opioids through aggressive marketing schemes, despite a lack of evidence to support their claims." The suit comes after Kentucky in 2017 recorded 1,566 lethal overdoses, a record high for the state. More than 300 hospitals across the country have filed similar lawsuits, according to WLKY (WLKY, 9/5).
- Ohio: A Hamilton County man has been charged for using a stolen identify to pretend to be a nurse for almost four years, according to the Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost (R). Martez Morris, who was arrested on Thursday, is accused of stealing the identity of a licensed practical nurse and using fraudulent documents to work at two health agencies. Several of the patients Morris treated were children (WCPO, 9/5).
- Pennsylvania: U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Kevin Gross on Thursday ruled in favor of the $55 million sale of Hahnemann University Hospital's residency program to a coalition of six health systems in Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New Jersey. The program consisted of more than 550 residency slots. Gross said the money will help Hahnemann pay its creditors. CMS, which funds residency programs, opposed the sale, saying that Hahnemann's Medicare agreement terminates upon its closure and therefore its residency program can't change hands (Paavola, Becker's Hospital Review, 9/5).