Overview

• The Medicare and Medicaid cuts, effective early Friday, will eliminate about 84% of Weiss’s revenue and are expected to force the hospital to close its doors by 7 a.m.
• Federal investigators documented months of noncompliance, citing nurse understaffing, treatment delays and an emergency department improvised in an office building after an air-conditioning collapse.
• Hospital leadership has denied state findings and lodged appeals, but staff schedules beyond Saturday remain unset and operational continuity is highly uncertain.
• Local elected officials and 171 community organizations have urged the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to grant an extension for repairs and compliance efforts.
• Ascension Saint Joseph and Swedish Hospital report rising referrals and are preparing to absorb ambulances and patient transfers from Weiss’s Uptown campus.