Compass Medical files for bankruptcy after abruptly shutting hospitals

Compass Medical announced Wednesday evening that all their practices will immediately close and advised patients to access their local emergency rooms and urgent cares.

“There is no good way to share this news. We are heartbroken and truly sorry as we know the unprecedented impact on our valued patients,” the healthcare company said in a statement.

Since last week, Compass has mobilized its limited remaining resources to stand up a website to assist patients locate their providers, to preserve the medical records and access to them after our closure, and to provide a plan to assure continuity of care for our 70,000 patients including the provision of on-call coverage during this transition.

Most of the company’s physicians will join other practices in the community and it will aim to connect former patients with them.

“This has been a difficult process for our providers, our employees, and the communities we have served for the past 30 years,” said Bruce Weinstein, President, Board of Directors of Compass Medical. “Once it became clear that closure was unavoidable, our extraordinary team has placed intensive focus on doing everything in our power to make sure our patients can transition to new practices, knowing that disruption was inevitable but committing all our resources to help mitigate where we could.”

Compass operated six medical clinics south of Boston.

For ten years, Compass partnered with Steward Medical to bring medical care to the South Shore. That association ended on a sour note last year. The companies sued each other over financial issues.

Last October, a Boston jury found Compass guilty of fraud, awarding Steward $16.4 million. The attorney representing Steward in that case, Howard Copper of the firm Todd & Weld, LLP, tells Boston 25 News that the settlement has since swelled, with interest, to at least $25 million. It remains unpaid.

The Attorney General’s Office told Boston 25 News they were looking into reports as well before the company officially announced its closure.

The AG’s office also created an online form specific to intaking Compass Medical complaints, so patients or employees of the company are encouraged to fill it out. Boston 25 News