Patient: Steward issues affecting surgeries in Sharon

Mar. 19—Chronically overweight, Chris Cline saw bariatric surgery at Sharon Regional Medical Center as his final shot at living a healthier life.

With multiple ailments, it's a struggle for the 41-year-old Grove City resident to stand longer than 15 minutes. Cline underwent months of extensive medical testing to qualify and ready himself for the surgery.

He took and passed multiple physical and psychological tests, and endured two weeks on a liquid diet as final preparation for the surgery, scheduled for March 4.

Then, the day before his surgery, Cline got the phone call.

"My doctor's office called saying the surgery was canceled," Cline said. "Sharon Regional told me it was because they ran out of supplies for surgical equipment."

This wasn't Sharon Regional's fault, the Grove City resident said. Rather, it was the hospital's owner — Steward Health Care.

Cline said he believes Sharon Regional canceled his surgery because vendors are withholding surgical supplies because of Steward's financial woes.

"I'm the trickle-down," he said.

Cline is among the local residents feeling Sharon Regional Health System's financial pain.

Dallas-based Steward is a for-profit healthcare company that owns 33 hospitals in nine states.

In January, Medical Properties Trust Inc. reported Steward owed it $50 million in unpaid rent. MPT is a real estate investment trust based in Birmingham, Ala., that owns many of Steward's buildings.

Steward has acknowledged it's in rough financial shape. In February, Steward outlined a $150 million financing agreement, asset sales and a partial restructuring that will allow the system "to emerge as a sustainable business."

The system's problems aren't confined to Pennsylvania.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health said last week it has placed monitoring staff at all nine of Steward's medical facilities in the state. The Eagle-Tribune, a CNHI newspaper in North Andover, Mass., reported Saturday that no other medical group in the state is under such scrutiny.

On Feb. 28, the Eagle-Tribune quoted Massachusetts House Speaker Ron Mariano saying that Steward has obstructed efforts by state health regulators' efforts to collect financial information.

"Every vendor Steward has ever dealt with has been shortchanged," Mariano said. "It's an embarrassment to the system."

Cline said he chose Sharon Regional for the bariatric surgery because his mother underwent the same surgery there a decade ago.

"She told me it was life-changing," he said.

Before considering the surgery, Cline was told by his bariatric doctor he first needed to try a restrictive diet in an effort to lose weight naturally.

While he lost some weight on the diet, Cline hit a wall where he couldn't shed any more pounds. He and his doctor made the decision to go on track for the bariatric surgery.

Cline acknowledges he is overweight and bears that responsibility. He declined to give his weight, but said his family has a long history with weight and heart issues.

"My dad, mother and grandmother all had heart attacks," Cline said.

The surgery was to have been performed by Dr. Sheetal Nijhawan, listed online as Sharon Regional's medical director of bariatric surgery.

"For two weeks before the surgery, I had to be on an all-liquid diet," Cline said. "It was so hard I took two weeks of vacation."

Sharon Regional Medical Center representatives did not answer questions about whether the hospital has had to cancel services because of Steward's financial issues. A spokesperson responded to Cline's claims with a statement.

"Providing the highest quality of care is always our top priority," the statement said. "In accordance with HIPAA regulations, Sharon Regional Medical Center is unable to comment on any patient's specific circumstances."

Privacy laws, better known as HIPAA, restrict healthcare providers from releasing patients' medical information.

However, Cline waived those rights. With his permission The Herald forwarded his phone number to confirm to Sharon Regional and Nijgawan that he waived those rights and gave them permission to talk with The Herald about his case.

Nijgawan did not immediately return a message left with her office on Monday.

Last week, Cline said he filed a complaint with the Pennsylvania Health Department about his treatment at Sharon Regional.

A spokesperson with the Health Department said last week it has not taken any enforcement action against Sharon Regional. There was no listing of any action taken by the department against Sharon Regional on the agency's website.

"I'm blaming this on Steward, not Sharon Regional," Cline said of the cancellation.

Cline is now searching for a hospital system that will accept his insurance to perform the surgery.

Media outlets in cities such as Dallas and Boston, where Steward has hospitals, have reported vendors have filed suits against the healthcare provider for non-payment.

Cline does lay one complaint at Sharon Regional's doorstep.

"Nobody there lifted a finger to help me find another hospital that could perform the surgery," he said. "I was left high and dry. And that really hurts."