GRANITE CITY, Ill. (First Alert 4) — A final federal report shows Gateway Regional Medical Center’s Medicare provider agreement is on track to be terminated unless the hospital corrects deficiencies identified by inspectors.
First Alert 4 Investigates first reported last month that a preliminary state investigation found Gateway Regional was not in compliance in certain areas, particularly an unauthorized ambulance diversion of a cardiac arrest patient. That preliminary report stated an “immediate jeopardy” safety warning was in place.
That information was submitted to the federal government and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for review. CMS now has issued its final report, which does not contain the “immediate jeopardy” warning. First Alert 4 has made multiple requests to CMS to explain why the phrase was removed. The Illinois Department of Public Health confirmed Wednesday afternoon there is no immediate jeopardy in place at Gateway Regional…