A recent inspection at MountainView Hospital will determine whether the facility loses its Medicare payments, a staggering financial blow. In October, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the federal government?s insurance for patients older than 65, found that MountainView was not meeting the conditions for the program. Specifically, the hospital?s governing board had failed to ensure the safety of patients and protect their rights, the government said. The findings followed the May suicide of a MountainView patient. The 59-year-old man went to the hospital recently divorced, depressed, with a suicide attempt and thoughts of killing himself. He had not been taking his medications and suffered from apocalyptic delusions and Vietnam flashbacks.
