White Rock Medical Center has temporarily halted the acceptance of patients transported by emergency medical services, following the layoff of nearly 35% of its staff due to ongoing litigation with the hospital’s former owner. This decision, made over the weekend, was taken “out of an abundance of caution” to ensure that the 158-person reduction in staff did not impact patient care at the Level IV trauma center, according to White Rock Medical Center's general counsel and chief restructuring officer, Terry Fokas. Before the layoffs, the hospital had a staff of 460. Fokas estimated that White Rock would resume accepting EMS-transported patients by Wednesday.
The North Central Texas Trauma Regional Advisory Council, which oversees trauma and emergency health systems in the region, confirmed the temporary halt in EMS transportations to the White Rock hospital. Jacob Seil, the council's director of information and support services, stated, “Our role is to ensure that this information has been sent to EMS agencies and other hospitals who are affected. We can confirm that this information has been posted in the appropriate communications platforms.”
White Rock Medical Center has undergone multiple ownership changes and name changes over the years. Most recently, the hospital was purchased from Pipeline Health by Heights Healthcare of Texas in the fall of last year. Originally opened in 1958 as Doctors Hospital, the facility became Baylor Scott & White Medical Center White Rock in 2016. Pipeline acquired the medical center from Baylor Scott & White Health and Tenet Healthcare, who jointly owned the facility for approximately two years before selling it to Pipeline.
However, Pipeline filed for bankruptcy in 2022 and sold two Chicago hospitals in 2023.
Heights Healthcare, which operates five hospitals in Houston, is currently engaged in litigation proceedings with Pipeline in a Dallas County court over the sale of the medical center. Fokas attributed the recent staff layoffs to the expenses associated with the court proceedings.
A spokesperson for Pipeline stated that the health system had no comment at this time.