Tallahassee, Florida
In early March, Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare sued the patient in room 373, alleging that she has refused to leave her room since being discharged on October 6, 2025.
Release Date
03/18/2026
The hospital also asked a state judge in Tallahassee for an injunction compelling the patient, whose name has not been released, to vacate the room and authorizing the county sheriff’s office to provide assistance if needed.
The hospital stated that the patient’s continued occupancy of the room has diverted resources that could have been used to care for other patients. “The defendant’s continued occupancy prevents the bed from being used for patients who need intensive care,” the hospital stated in the lawsuit.
According to the lawsuit, the woman was admitted to the hospital for medical treatment, and a formal discharge order was issued on October 6 after it was determined that she no longer required intensive care. The hospital has repeatedly attempted to coordinate her departure with her family and offered her transportation to obtain the necessary identification, the lawsuit states.
Hospital attorney Rachel Givens stated Wednesday that the hospital had no comment. Hospital spokeswoman Macy Layton indicated Wednesday that the hospital could not discuss ongoing legal matters in response to emailed questions, including information about the type of identification the patient needed. The lawsuit does not specify the reason for the treatment, the amount of the hospital bill, or how she was able to remain hospitalized for more than five months despite having been discharged.
No attorney is listed for the patient, who is representing herself. The phone numbers listed in an online database for the patient are disconnected. No one answered the phone when attempts were made to contact her in her hospital room. An online court hearing on the lawsuit is scheduled for later this month.
Under the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, hospitals that receive Medicare funding must provide treatment to stabilize anyone who arrives at the emergency department with a medical emergency, even if the patient is uninsured or unable to pay. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) can investigate hospitals for noncompliance with this law.
Patients can be discharged when physicians determine they can receive outpatient care, provided they are given an appropriate follow-up plan as part of their discharge instructions, the federal agency stated in an operations manual.
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