Rhode Island
Prospect Medical Holdings has underfunded two R.I. hospitals and affected operations, state says – The Boston Globe
An investigation by the Rhode Island Department of Health revealed that as of Oct. 24, more than 250 of the hospitals’ approximately 830 vendors were operating with the hospitals on a “cash on demand” basis. That means they only deliver supplies if they are paid at the time of delivery, a policy generally reserved for customers with a history of nonpayment. Fatima Hospital and Roger Williams Medical Center have historically taken more than 90 days to pay vendors, state filings say.
Hip joints, catheters, endoscopes, and eye lenses are among the supplies for which vendors of Prospect’s Rhode Island hospitals were not paid. The procedures that were canceled included endoscopies, eye surgeries, and a spinal surgery, according to the investigation with the health department.
“These facilities need more consistent support from their corporate owners,” said Dr. Utpala Bandy, the interim director of health. “The action we took today will ensure immediate accountability and get the hospitals on sounder footing. This is critical for the state as a whole, and for the communities these facilities serve as safety net hospitals.”
Otis Brown, a spokesman for the two hospitals, could not be immediately reached for comment on Thursday.
State law requires hospitals to have local governing boards, even when their corporate owners are based elsewhere. But many of the financial decisions for Roger Williams Medical Center and Fatima Hospital are made in California, said Joseph Wendelken, a spokesman with the Rhode Island Department of Health.
“Prospect Medical Holdings sweeps all patient care revenue from Roger Williams and Fatima every day and then returns an operating allowance back to the hospitals once a week,” Wendelken wrote in a news release. “The amounts of these allowances vary and are determined by Prospect Medical Holdings.
“The amounts of these allowances are inadequate to pay vendors in a timely manner, leading to interruptions in services,” added Wendelken.
In late 2022 Prospect, a private equity firm, announced that it planned to sell its hospitals to a nonprofit foundation. At the time, it seemed like welcome news for the state’s health regulators and patients who have long worried about low-income Rhode Islanders’ ability to access care. But nearly a year later, Prospect and its prospective buyer, The Centurion Foundation, have yet to complete the first step in the sale.
Rhode Island Attorney General Peter F. Neronha and the Rhode Island Department of Health, both of which must approve the sale of any hospitals in the state, have twice rejected Centurion and Prospect’s application, deeming them incomplete. Under the Hospital Conversions Act, health care groups in Rhode Island must submit completed applications to both offices for evaluation before the reviewing process can even begin.
On Aug. 11, the two health care organizations were informed that they had not completed at least 244 questions on their application, according to a letter from the attorney general’s office and the health department, which was obtained by the Globe.
“Failure to provide complete, accurate, and forthright responses may result in a rejection of the Transaction Parties’ application on its face without prejudice,” wrote Special Assistant Attorney General Julia Harvey and Fernanda Lopes, the chief of the Office of Health Systems Development.
A third version of their application was due in late October, but the health care organizations requested and were granted an extension to mid-November.
Representatives of The Centurion Foundation have not responded to multiple requests for interviews by the Boston Globe.
Prospect has also been in the process of trying to unload its other hospitals across the United States. In Connecticut, three long-struggling Prospect-owned hospitals have been eyed for acquisition by Yale New Haven Health. One of those hospitals, Waterbury Hospital, reportedly owes vendors “tens of millions of dollars.” At Crozer Health, the struggling four-hospital system in Pennsylvania owned by Prospect, executives have been unable to pay vendors and contractors who provide vital services to patients. Pharmacists told WHYY earlier this year that they’ve run out of equipment to package drugs and are on a credit hold with a supplier.
In Rhode Island, Thursday’s compliance order says that Prospect must hire an independent fiscal monitor and cover all operating costs for Our Lady of Fatima Hospital and Roger Williams Medical Center, said Wendelken. The fiscal monitor will determine what those costs are, he said.
Prospect must also create a “cash on hand” escrow account to ensure the stability of the facilities, and have an independent operations monitor on site who will report to the health department daily.
The compliance order includes “many additional, stringent requirements in the areas of finance, operations, and oversight,” according to Thursday’s news release. The health department “reserves the right to order a cease and desist on the daily sweeping of patient care revenue from the hospitals to the parent company in California.”
Alexa Gagosz can be reached at alexa.gagosz@globe.com. Follow her @alexagagosz and on Instagram @AlexaGagosz.
Rhode Island
Police recover watch belonging to Travis Kelce in Rhode Island following break-in of his mansion: report
A watch belonging to Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce was reportedly found over 1,000 miles away from his Kansas mansion that was broken into last month.
The homes of Kelce and teammate Patrick Mahomes were burglarized last month shortly before one of their games — Kelce’s house is in Leawood, Kansas, while Mahomes’ residence is in nearby Belton, Missouri.
The watch was recovered in Providence, Rhode Island, where Kelce’s girlfriend, pop star Taylor Swift, also owns a home.
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Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce looks on during the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, on Oct. 20. (Michael Owens/Getty Images)
NFL players were cautioned by the league to be on high alert after the homes were broken into last month in a wave of burglaries reportedly tied to international organized crime. It was eventually revealed that $20,000 in cash was taken from Kelce’s home.
In a memo obtained by The Associated Press, the NFL issued a security alert to teams and the NFL Players Association, warning that professional athletes in different sports have become “increasingly targeted for burglaries by organized and skilled groups.”
Law enforcement officials say the suspects conduct extensive surveillance on their targets’ homes and have even posed as groundskeepers or joggers. Some have even attempted home deliveries.
Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, left, and quarterback Patrick Mahomes, right, wait to lead their team onto the field before the preseason game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, on Aug. 10. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
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The memo urged players to take special precautions, including installing home security systems. They were also encouraged not to post live updates of their comings and goings on social media or showcase their expensive items online.
“Obviously, it’s frustrating, disappointing. I can’t get into too many of the details because the investigation is still ongoing, but, obviously, it’s something that you don’t want to happen to really anybody, but obviously yourself,” Mahomes said last week.
Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs looks on before kickoff of the game against the New Orleans Saints at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, on Oct. 7. (Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
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The Chiefs suffered their first loss of the season on Sunday, falling to the Buffalo Bills after winning their first nine games.
Fox News’ Paulina Dedaj contributed to this report.
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Rhode Island
Travis Kelce’s watch found in Rhode Island after Kansas City mansion was burglarized of $20K in cash: report
Travis Kelce’s stolen watch was reportedly found in Providence, RI, this week after the NFL star’s mansion in Leawood, Kan., was burglarized last month.
Sources familiar with the investigation told ABC News Friday that a watch taken from Kelce’s residence — and not previously disclosed to the public — was recovered.
Details have yet to be revealed on what type of timepiece was stolen or how much it was worth.
Authorities previously shared that the unidentified criminals stole $20,000 cash from Kelce’s home. They did not specify whether any other items were taken at the time.
Sources told ABC News that they think the athlete’s home was specifically targeted — and thoroughly surveyed — before the Oct. 7 burglary.
Just two days before Kelce’s pad was broken into, burglars also raided the home of his Kansas City Chiefs teammate Patrick Mahomes.
Authorities have theorized the burglars may have targeted the athletes as their public football schedule reveals when they will be away from their residences.
“There is a concern about what happens if the athlete or his/her family members are present,” a security source told the outlet.
The insider shared that the burglars have gained access to Kelce and Mahomes’ houses by “posing as delivery men, maintenance workers or joggers to learn about residences, neighborhoods and security systems.”
Captain Jason Ahring from the Leawood, Kan., Police Department told Page Six that they are not releasing any information pertaining to an open investigation and maintained they will not be commenting.
Meanwhile, a Providence Police Department Public Information Officer told Page Six that they do “not have any record or involvement related to this incident.”
Kelce, 35, has yet to address the crime, but Mahomes, 29, previously expressed how “disappointing” the violation was.
“I can’t get into too many details because the investigation is still ongoing, but it’s obviously something you don’t want to happen to anybody — and obviously yourself,” Mahomes said during a press conference earlier this month.
Meanwhile, a source told Page Six that Kelce’s girlfriend, Taylor Swift, was “thankful that no one was hurt and that neither of them were home during the robberies.”
Kelce’s home was broken into around 7:30 p.m. local time on Oct. 7 – just 15 minutes before his team kicked off against the New Orleans Saints.
Meanwhile, Mahomes’ mansion was burglarized while he was celebrating Kelce’s 35th birthday on Oct. 5.
U.S. Labor Department is encouraging Rhode Islanders to use their online tool to find out if they’re among those owed more than $2.5M in back wages
PROVIDENCE – More than 1,500 Rhode Island workers are owed a total of $2.5 million in back wage, and just in time for Christmas, the U.S. Department of Labor wants to put it in their hands.
The money, $2,576,342, was recovered from employers in Labor Department investigations.
The Labor Department encourages anyone who believes they may be owed back wages or knows someone who may be owed wages use their Workers Owed Wages online tool. Anyone who uses the WOW search tool can simply input their current or former employer’s name to learn if the division is holding wages on their behalf.
“The laws enforced by the Wage and Hour Division provide the foundation for U.S. workers’ rights, including the rights to be paid legally required wages and other important protections,” the Labor Department said in announcing the effort.
The tool is available in both English and Spanish.
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