(StraightNews.org) New Mexico’s Attorney General Raúl Torrez has launched an investigation into the Memorial Medical Center in Las Cruces after media reports suggested it had turned away low-income patients. Torrez said he would examine the hospital’s policies to ensure they comply with a state law requiring healthcare facilities to assess patients’ financial needs.
Figures show that the hospital serves around 225,000 people, of which 15% have no health insurance. The investigation follows a media investigation that found the Memorial Medical Center had turned away cancer patients, including one of its former staff members, Barbara Quarrell.
When diagnosed in 2022, Quarrell told reporters that she felt confident she would receive the treatment she needed at Memorial. “My people are there,” she said. Nevertheless, the facility refused to treat her, prompting her to move to Albuquerque, where her insurance was accepted.
Similarly, Veronica Hernandez, diagnosed with breast cancer in 2019, was repeatedly refused treatment due to insufficient insurance coverage. Debbie Jo Minser also received a breast cancer diagnosis and was stunned when she was turned away from the center without warning. She had undergone surgery at the facility, but when she turned up for follow-up treatment, hospital officials told her that her Medicaid coverage had “ended.”
The Memorial Medical Center is owned and operated by Lifepoint Health, and a spokeswoman insisted it is “committed to a mission of making communities healthier.” Lifepoint oversees America’s largest chain of hospitals, with 62 facilities in primarily rural areas of 16 states.
At a news conference announcing the investigation, Mr. Torrez said it was “apparent” that management had failed to prioritize patient care and decisions were made with profit at the forefront. Memorial Medical Center CEO John Harris denied those allegations and said he was surprised to learn of the Attorney General’s probe but would cooperate fully.
In June, Las Cruces Councilors asked to see the hospital’s accounts to examine its revenue, but City Councilor Becky Corran said Memorial has yet to provide that information.
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