Wanting it both ways: We sued you, but we still need you

“In March 2004, dozens of patients who had films re-read joined together to file a state court lawsuit that alleged, among other things, negligence, outrage and negligent infliction of emotional distress. The lawsuit, still working its way through Hopkins County Circuit Court, requests punitive damages and injunctive relief.

After the patients filed the lawsuit, the Trover Clinic Foundation board of directors decided that its facilities could no longer provide services to those patients.

In the fall of 2004, the Trover Clinic Foundation sent letters to the plaintiffs informing them that the health system’s facilities no longer could offer nonemergency medical care to them. The letter asked the patients to arrange for new care in the next 30 days. Trover also told patients they could contact the foundation if they needed help in making any arrangements. The Trover facilities would continue to provide emergency care for the patients.

The patients then turned to the federal court system, asking a judge to make Trover take care of their nonemergency medical needs.”