YOUNGSTOWN - Medicare enrollees are at risk of losing access coverage at the only Hospital in downtown Youngstown.

Mercy Health Saint Elizabeth was found to be not in compliance with Medicare requirements after a review on September 3. 

St. Elizabeth has been a Medicare accredited hospital for as long as the program has existed. A letter sent to the hospital from CMS said that could change if changes are not made.

The letter doesn't specify what problems led to the possible loss of certification, but it came days after a patient fatally shot himself inside the hospital in August.

The letter reads “Based on our review of the survey findings, we have determined that MH St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital is not in compliance with the following Medicare Condition of Participation for hospitals… Patient Rights.”

So how does this affect the hospital? If the certification is lost, the hospital will not be reimbursed for Medicare patients. 

“Losing that status can put off a substantial portion of the hospital’s revenue. Particularly for hospitals that serve maybe more rural and more underserved areas where the percentage of the population is more aligned with Medicare, Medicaid,” said Alan Condon, editor and chief at Becker’s Hospital Review.

Condon said revoking Medicare or Medicaid licensing is not common, but often happens after a serious, harmful event. 

“It’s generally, CMS will pull Medicaid and Medicare or Medicare coverage after a big sentinel event, for example. That could be something like a patient death due to safety failures. It could be significant or severe infection control breaches,  or just wide and noncompliance over a lengthy period of time with CMS’s conditions for participation in the program,” said Condon. 

While the hospital is at risk of losing the accreditation, the letter said Mercy Health can take steps to come into compliance with the Medicare Conditions of Participation. 

“Depending on the situation, it could be really making sure that patent safety protocols are in place and proper security measures are in place, proper security measures are in place, quality controls from a patient care standpoint, the clinical infection controls,” said Condon.

Mercy Health sent a statement addressing the letter:

Mercy Health is committed to providing the highest level of care to every patient throughout the Mahoning Valley. A recent survey finding at Mercy Health – St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital demonstrated areas to be addressed. We take this matter seriously and are focused on improving our processes as we develop a plan of action to address all concerns.

For more than a century, Mercy Health has honored its commitment to improving the health and well-being of our community.  We take seriously our community’s trust and will continue to work tirelessly to care for our patients, support our care teams and facilitate continuous improvement.


“In cases like this, CMS usually gives hospitals a period of time to correct these issues which can be up to 90 days or so before funding is fully withdrawn,” said Condon.

If changes are not made, St. E's can lose its Medicare certification on December 17. 

The Ohio Department of Health said a loss of certification would mean losing a provider agreement for both Medicare and Medicaid.