Tag: Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare

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Healthier 901 Fest Returns for Year Two

Try out a fitness class at Healthier 901 Fest. (Photo: Courtesy MLH)

For the past year, Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare (MLH) has been challenging Memphians and people across the Mid-South to lose one million pounds as a community within three years through the Healthier 901 initiative. So far, 6,828 pounds have been lost by those who have joined through the Healthier 901 app. 

This Saturday to celebrate the initiative’s first year and push for more success, MLH will host its second annual Healthier 901 Fest on Saturday at Shelby Farms Park. “Everyone is so excited,” says April Wilson, one of Healthier 901’s associates. “We have made it even better this year.”

This year’s fest will have live cooking demos by Kelly English and other local celebrity chefs, giveaways, live music, and food trucks. There will also be fitness classes throughout the day including tai chi, yoga, meditation, hip-hop, jazzercise, aerobics, and more. 

“This year, we really want people to find their fit,” says Sarah Farley, Le Bonheur’s communications specialist. “We’re having the Find Your Fit Zone this year with about 20 different vendors who will be on site with various fitness activities. So you can try it out and see if you like it, and then work with that vendor for a longer term to explore whatever that exercise or activity is. There’s a million ways to get active. You don’t have to go to go to the gym; you don’t have to walk on a treadmill.”

There’ll also be the Le Bonheur Family Zone, which will have pickleball courts, hula hoops, bungee trampolines, a rock wall, a ninja tower, and educational activities. Both Wilson and Farley recommend downloading the Healthier 901 app before attending the fest to get enrolled into the raffles for special giveaways. 

The app and Healthier 901’s website will also have more information about ongoing programming throughout the year. Wilson, for instance, speaks of working with businesses, churches, and schools. “The things that we’re doing out there in the community are really bringing everyone together,” she says. “And what I can see just from outside looking in, people are really enjoying learning about health and just being active. If you’re moving constantly every day on a daily basis, of course, you gonna see pounds drop, but your overall goal is to be healthy.”  

Healthier 901 fest, Shelby Farms Park, Saturday, August 31, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., free.

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ACLU Critical of Methodist Le Bonheur’s Transgender Policies

(Credit: Sharon McCutcheon on Unsplash)

The American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee is taking Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare (MLH) in Memphis to task for canceling gender affirmation surgery for a 19-year-old patient.

According to the ACLU, Chris Evans was notified days before a scheduled surgery that the hospital had adopted a policy to deny gender-affirming care to transgender and nonbinary patients. 

“All people should be able to access necessary medical care without fear of discrimination because of who they are,” said ACLU-TN Staff Attorney Lucas Cameron-Vaughn. “Denial of healthcare results in life-threatening situations for all patients. Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare is risking the lives of its patients by jumping into culture wars. Discrimination does not belong in healthcare.

A letter sent by Cameron-Vaughan alleges Evans was told of the facility’s decision on November 21. 

“Such a policy is unlawful discrimination based on sex pursuant to Section 1557 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as well as discrimination on the basis of disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act,” wrote Cameron-Vaughan.

“Categorically refusing to provide treatment to an individual because they are transgender or nonbinary is prohibited sex discrimination under Section 1557,” the letter continues.

The ACLU “demands” the healthcare facility respond by the close of business on December 2 with confirmation Evans’ surgery has been scheduled to be performed before December 31. 

Should MLH not comply, the ACLU plans to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights.

MLH’s website states the healthcare facility is Tennessee’s largest provider of care to TennCare/Medicaid and uninsured patients, serving more than 128,000 adult TennCare and Medicaid patients annually. 

A web page titled “LGBTQ+” has been deactivated from the site. 

In a statement, MLH said, “Our commitment remains to deliver high quality and compassionate care to any patient regardless of their race, gender, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression. In recent weeks, some care providers voiced questions about patients receiving gender affirming procedures at a facility affiliated with our health system. This resulted in a temporary pause to review current practices. We have not changed our practices regarding the treatment of transgender and/or non-binary patients. We have not wavered from our commitment as a health system for all. We understand the physicians are moving forward with getting the patients rescheduled before the end of the year.”ACLU-TN-Demand-Letter-to-MLH-11.30.22_final.

Tennessee Lookout is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Tennessee Lookout maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Holly McCall for questions: info@tennesseelookout.com. Follow Tennessee Lookout on Facebook and Twitter.

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DOJ Sues Methodist, West Clinic on Kickback Allegations

Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare (MLH) paid for unlawful kickbacks from the West Clinic for patient referrals, according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), but the Memphis companies say the allegations “mischaracterize” the relationship.  

The DOJ began investigating the claims in 2017, after Jeffrey H. Liebman, the former president of Methodist University Hospital, came forward as a whistleblower. He was joined in the whistleblower suit in 2019 by Dr. David M. Stern, M.D., who served in leadership roles at Methodist, West Clinic, and the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC).

In 2012, Methodist announced a “partnership” between the healthcare system and West Clinic. At the time, Methodist lacked a comprehensive cancer treatment service. The deal would allow West’s patients to get treatment at Methodist-owned facilities.  

The news release issued at the time said it was not a “sale” but a “novel partnership.” The two were “joining forces with Methodist to create a comprehensive, fully integrated cancer service for the benefit of Mid-South residents.” But, the DOJ said, Methodist “purchased substantially all of [West’s] outpatient locations.” This deal allowed Methodist to get more Medicare reimbursements, or more payments from the federal government for caring for Medicare patients. 

At the same time, Methodist made a $7 million investment in ACORN Research, a business in which West and its medical director, Dr. Lee Schwartzberg, had a personal financial interest, the DOJ said. This gave the parties involved the mechanism to move the kickback funds during the seven years of the agreement. The payments were “expressly” for services that were supposed to be — but were not — provided in the agreement. 

The DOJ said the entire “sophisticated business integration” helped to disguise the “unlawful kickbacks.”  The department said, “Methodist knowingly agreed to pay West millions of dollars in kickbacks for the revenues Methodist expected to, and ultimately did, realize from West’s referrals.”

The agreement lasted from January 1st, 2012 through December 31st, 2018 and continued even after Methodist knew the allegations were being investigated by federal agencies.     

“Methodist knowingly agreed to pay West millions of dollars in kickbacks for the revenues Methodist expected to, and ultimately did, realize from West’s referrals.”

U.S. Department of Justice

“As a result of the transaction, Methodist, which prior to the deal had no outpatient cancer treatment, was able to establish a new stream of income in the reimbursements for outpatient treatment that previously went to West,” the DOJ said in a news release issued Tuesday. “Methodist also realized a huge increase in referrals for inpatient services from West, which previously referred the bulk of its patients to Methodist’s competitors, including Baptist Memorial Hospital.

“By purchasing West’s outpatient locations, Methodist was able to bill Medicare not only for the facility and professional components of outpatient treatment but also for the chemotherapy and other drugs provided, for which Methodist could recoup a staggering discount in costs through the 340B Discount Drug Program, resulting in $50 million in profits to Methodist in one year alone.”

But Methodist officials rebutted the allegations Tuesday. the deal structure was created by “respected outside experts” who said the agreement reflected fair market value for the services. It will fight the government’s “allegations in detail in the appropriate legal forum.”

A statement from Methodist said, “Our payments were appropriate, and MLH received the services due under affiliation agreements. The government’s belated decision to intervene in the suit two years after it declined to do so has changed nothing about the case.

“We are proud that our partnership with West succeeded in creating an integrated cancer diagnosis treatment and surgical service that not only improved cancer care, but provided care where it was needed most, reduced health disparities and led to better patient outcomes for the Memphis and Mid-South communities.”

The matter is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General.

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Amid COVID-19 Outbreak, Methodist Le Bonheur Alters Visitation Policies


Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare is making changes to its visitation and other policies in light of the COVID-19 outbreak.

The hospital is limiting visitation beginning Thursday, March 19th, “until the transmission of COVID-19 is no longer a threat.”

No visitors will be allowed in rooms of patients with a pending or positive COVID-19 test.

Exceptions to this policy include:

• One parent of guardian of minor patients

• Obstetric patients may have one support person

• Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) patients may have two parents who must remain in the room the duration of the visit.

• Patients at end-of-life may have a very limited number of visitors who must remain in the room for the duration of the visit.

• Patients where the family member provides safety (e.g., altered mental or physical status or developmental delay) or is key to patient care (e.g., disruptive behavior) may have one visitor who must stay in the room for the duration of the visit.

• Patients requiring a home caregiver to be trained must stay in the room for the duration of the visit.

• Patients undergoing surgery or procedures may have one visitor before and immediately after the procedure/surgery.

The hospital is also implementing employee and physician screenings beginning Thursday at all of its six MLH hospitals. This policy will extend to all MLH facilities on Monday, March 23rd. Screening will include a temperature check, as well as questions related to symptoms, travel, and potential exposure.

Finally, MLH is canceling all elective procedures beginning Monday. Doctors will continue to perform routine screenings and diagnostic tests.