As legal battles between LCMC Health and the federal government play out, a judge ruled the New Orleans-based system cannot close any of the three hospitals it purchased from Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare in January, Becker’s reports.
Under the April 21 ruling from U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson, LCMC cannot terminate any service line at the three Tulane hospitals it acquired, though is allowed to “shift clinical services among LCMC facilities and the Tulane Hospitals if such changes are necessary to provide safe patient care.”
The ruling came in response to the Federal Trade Commission’s lawsuit filed April 20 against the health system over antitrust concerns surrounding LCMC’s $150 million purchase of three hospitals from HCA. A day earlier, LCMC sued the Federal Trade Commission, the Justice Department and U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, seeking clarification on whether Louisiana’s acquisition approval can preempt federal merger review. Read more.
