On Thursday, the City of Las Cruces issued a notice of breach letter to Memorial Medical Center [MMC] and Lifepoint Health concerning the lease agreement between the city, Doña Ana County, and the healthcare provider. City and county leadership gathered Friday for a news conference to discuss the ongoing dispute.
During conference, Attorney for the City of Las Cruces Brad Douglas didn’t give specifics as to which part of the 2004 lease agreement that Memorial Medical and its operator Lifepoint Health are believed to be in violation of, but said the healthcare provider has 30 days to clear its name.
“Within the next 30 days, if their position is that they have not breached, show us. Send me that documentation. And at the end of that 30-day period, if the city and county are not satisfied with that response, if we’re not satisfied that those material breaches have been corrected, then at that point, further action may be taken.”
The city’s demands to Memorial Medical include providing extensive documentation related to expanded care requests, as well as a plan to remedy identified defaults regarding the hospital's denial to provide those expanded care services.
The dispute comes amid a New Mexico Department of Justice investigation into MMC, which includes allegations of refusing to treat cancer patients. Mayor Pro Tempore Johana Bencomo said that it was a culmination of factors that enabled the city to take this action against Memorial Medical Center.
“I realized that I have taken a really disempowered approach to the concerns that have been raised about MMC,” Bencomo said. “But by disempowering our governing body, we disempowered our community, and we disempowered patents' voices and advocates' voices. But no more.”
As the 30-day deadline approaches, city and county officials await Memorial Medical Center's response, with potential action looming if the healthcare provider fails to address the alleged violations.
KRWG Public Media has reached out to Memorial Medical Center for comment, and a spokesperson responded with the following written statement:
"Memorial Medical Center received the notice of breach from the City of Las Cruces late yesterday. We believe we are compliant and have not breached the terms of the lease and asset purchase agreements and are responding in accordance with the obligations outlined in both. Our hospital is committed to a positive partnership with the City of Las Cruces and Doña Ana County and working together to build a healthier community, today and into the future. We will continue collaborating with the City and County to identify and resolve any areas of concern as quickly as possible."
