FORT WORTH
Attorneys for a North Texas hospital corporation indicted this week on accusations that it involuntarily and illegally held patients filed a motion Friday requesting that the indictment be quashed.
SAS Healthcare Inc., commonly known as Sundance Behavioral Heathcare System, was indicted Wednesday on nine criminal counts alleging violations of the Texas Mental Health Code.
The corporation, which provides inpatient and outpatient treatment for children and adults and specializes in the treatment of mental health, chemical dependency, and detoxification, is accused of holding four patients involuntarily and illegally at its Arlington hospital.
In a statement released Friday morning, the law firm of Varghese Summersett — which is representing Sundance Behavioral Healthcare System — accused the Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office of getting involved in an issue where it doesn’t belong:
“At a basic level, we have people without medical degrees ordering licensed mental health professionals to violate their Hippocratic Oath to do no harm and then criminally prosecuting them for delay in a patient’s release, even when the delay was a result of medical professionals acting in the best interest of the patient and the community,” the statement said.
Source: Indictment of hospital group is legal overreach by district attorney, lawyers say / Star-Telegram