Las Cruces, NM, Memorial Medical Center (MMC) faces accusations of violating its lease agreements with the city and county of Las Cruces after allegedly refusing cancer treatment to patients unable to pay. The New Mexico Department of Justice is investigating the hospital for potentially denying services to uninsured and Medicaid-eligible individuals and failing to adequately screen patients for financial assistance, as reported by KTSM.
These allegations prompted the delivery of a notice of material breach to MMC on Thursday, an action that reflects a sharpening of the city's once disempowered approach towards oversight of its healthcare institutions, the City and County leadership desire to see MMC meet its responsibilities to vulnerable community members and work collaboratively, said a city spokesperson, as per KVIA.
In response to the allegations, MMC insists on its compliance with lease and purchase agreements, "We believe we are compliant and have not breached the terms of the lease and asset purchase agreements," the hospital stated, also expressing its commitment to cooperate with the city and county to address any concerns according to the Las Cruces Bulletin. The city has requested a broad range of documents from MMC, including records associated with the provision and denial of expanded care services and annual capital expenditure reports.
The call for accountability comes amidst leadership changes in the city and county, with Yolanda Diaz, founder of CARE Las Cruces, highlighting this as a positive move towards addressing long-standing grievances, stating, "We have a new city manager, we had a new interim county manager, we have a new attorney." At the same time, Doña Ana County Commissioner Manuel Sanchez acknowledged that the publication of a recent NBC News article and the subsequent outcry from residents have propelled the local government to take action, during this time the city and county strive to better understand the operations at MMC, pushing them to demand accountability and transparency said Sanchez, as reported by the Las Cruces Bulletin.
