Spartanburg Medical Center must pay $100K over improper patient transfer

Terry Benjamin II, Greenville News

Fri, December 26, 2025 at 8:05 PM UTC

2 min read

Spartanburg Medical Center violated the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, according to federal officials.

According to the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Spartanburg Medical Center entered into a $100,000 settlement on Nov. 12.

Spartanburg Medical Center violated the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act by inappropriately transferring a patient, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.

"Though not an admission of liability, we reached a settlement agreement with the Office of Inspector General to resolve this matter," Spartanburg Medical Center said in a statement.

"Spartanburg Medical Center takes compliance with all federal regulations, including the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA), very seriously," SMC said in its statement. "Spartanburg Medical Center is committed to patient safety and regulatory compliance, and our priority remains to provide the highest quality care to every patient who comes through our doors."

This settlement stems from a May 2024 incident, when the hospital is alleged to have transferred a patient who had suffered a large hematoma along the left carotid artery and had active bleeding from a prior surgery, which was performed eight days earlier at another facility, according to the report.

A hospital worker labeled the patient to have "left-sided swelling, which is significant, rock-hard, and with a palpable pulse" on their neck. Another worker said, "I had never seen (swelling) that massive, pulsating ...I've worked ED in several hospitals," according to the report.

SMC physicians ordered tests and secured the patient's airway before calling the on-call vascular surgeon.

The surgeon did not physically come to SMC to evaluate the patient and provide the necessary stabilizing treatment for the patient's emergency medical condition, according to federal officials. Instead, the on-call physician requested that the hospital send the patient back to the previous facility.

The U.S. Office of Public Health said the benefits of transferring the patient did not outweigh the risks because SMC had the capabilities to provide stabilizing treatment. The risks included the potential of the patient's airway loss, respiratory failure, stroke with permanent disability, or death without immediate medical attention.

This article originally appeared on Herald-Journal: Spartanburg Medical Center penalized for emergency transfer violation

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