Former North KC firm under federal criminal investigation for failed hospital chain

A company tied to a slew of rural hospital closures — including several in Kansas and Missouri — is under federal criminal investigation, according to court records. EmpowerHMS, a hospital management company formerly headquartered in North Kansas City, once ran 14 facilities across seven states. But it collapsed this year amid scrutiny of a lab billing scheme allegedly spearheaded by CEO Jorge A. Perez, leaving unpaid bills and unpaid workers in its wake.