Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, April 14, 1995                   TAG: 9504140039
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A-6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: TAMPA, FLA.                                LENGTH: Medium

FLA. HOSPITAL LOSES ACCREDITATION

The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations took the action 10 days after a surprise review. The panel issued a statement announcing the punishment and wouldn't elaborate on its findings.

University Community Hospital, one of three major hospitals in the Tampa area, has 20 days to appeal. In the meantime, it will retain the accreditation it received two years ago with high marks - a score of 95 out of 100.

Without accreditation, the hospital cannot qualify for Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement. The hospital last year received $52 million from the government programs - about one-third of its patient revenue.

Officials at the 424-bed private, not-for-profit hospital did not immediately return a call Thursday.

The hospital's problems began Feb. 20, when doctors amputated below the knee the wrong leg of 51-year-old diabetic Willie King.

Less than two weeks later, Leo Alfonso, 77, died after a technician mistakenly removed him from a ventilator, thinking he was another patient.

Later investigations revealed other mistakes, including an arthroscopic surgery performed on the wrong knee of a patient in February and a tubal ligation performed without consent that left a woman partially sterilized.

The American Medical Association wants to use the hospital as an example of how a hospital should not operate. It has called on the private accreditation board to release its findings and recommendations.

``Maybe the situation at the Tampa hospital was unique,'' said AMA President-elect Lonnie Bristow. ``But if it's not, we want to make sure everyone can learn from it.''

Another threat to the hospital's funding looms from the federal Health Care Financing Administration, which controls distribution of Medicare and Medicaid money. It has set an April 20 deadline for a state team to inspect the hospital and determine if it has problems that pose an ``immediate and serious'' threat to patients.