News Summary
CharterCARE Health Partners has deployed Evolv Express at its hospitals in Rhode Island to enhance security amidst financial challenges from a Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The system, funded by a federal grant, utilizes AI technology to distinguish between harmless metal objects and potential threats, ensuring safety for patients and staff. Despite financial turmoil and pending sale to The Centurion Foundation, healthcare leaders emphasize the need for swift approval to preserve vital healthcare services in the region.
Providence, Rhode Island – CharterCARE Health Partners has implemented a new advanced security system called Evolv Express at its hospitals, including Our Lady of Fatima Hospital in North Providence and Roger Williams Medical Center in Providence. This initiative comes amid significant financial challenges facing the organization, which is in the process of selling its hospitals following a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing in January 2025.
The Evolv Express system utilizes advanced sensor technology and artificial intelligence designed to detect metal and differentiate between harmless metal objects and potential weapons. Once a threat is identified, the system promptly alerts security personnel, enhancing the overall safety of patients and staff at the facilities.
CharterCARE’s CEO Jeffrey Liebman highlighted the necessity of adopting advanced security measures in light of recent changes within society and national events that raise concerns over safety in healthcare environments. The safety of both patients and employees remains the top priority for the health system, which has historically relied on its Security Department personnel to maintain a secure environment.
The introduction of the Evolv Express system was facilitated by a $200,000 federal grant. Screening systems have been established in crucial areas, including the central registration area of Our Lady of Fatima Hospital and at the east emergency entrance and main lobby of Roger Williams Medical Center.
This move towards enhanced security comes as CharterCARE finds itself in severe financial turmoil, with its parent company, Prospect Medical Holdings, owing over $1 billion to creditors while only having $3.4 million in available cash. The system has over 400 beds across its hospitals, of which 104 are designated for behavioral health patients—underscoring its importance as a critical healthcare provider in Rhode Island.
In June 2024, the Rhode Island Office of the Attorney General and the Department of Health approved the sale of CharterCARE to Georgia-based non-profit The Centurion Foundation, setting forth 80 specific conditions required for the transfer. This change in ownership is intended to relieve some of the operational struggles faced by CharterCARE and restore local governance, allowing for collaboration aimed at improving health services in the region.
Healthcare leaders in the region have emphasized the urgency of expediting the approval process for the sale, expressing concern that the delay could jeopardize public health and safety. A letter, signed by multiple regional healthcare leaders on January 22, called on the bankruptcy judge to take swift action for the benefit of the community.
Rhode Island is currently facing a healthcare shortage, which raises alarms about the implications of losing CharterCARE’s hospitals for the local healthcare system. Reports indicated operational funding and supply shortages prior to the bankruptcy filing, with issues stemming from insufficient medical equipment causing surgery delays at CharterCARE facilities.
The planned sale aims to transition CharterCARE back to a not-for-profit status, potentially reinstating local management and distancing the organization from private equity oversight. The financial difficulties experienced by Prospect Medical were further compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic, rising inflation, and a ransomware attack that took place in August 2023.
Prior to entering bankruptcy, Prospect Medical announced that it was nearing the final stages of selling the hospitals to Centurion, a process which stakeholders believe would improve local governance and healthcare delivery. However, union representatives raised concerns about the history of underfunding and mismanagement within CharterCARE hospitals, suggesting that employees have been forced to operate with increasingly limited resources.
Federal and state officials, recognizing the vital role of CharterCARE hospitals in the community, continue to monitor the situation closely. There is ongoing scrutiny to ensure that healthcare availability persists and that adequate support is extended to the local healthcare workforce as the organization navigates its operational changes.
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Additional Resources
- Providence Business News
- Brown Daily Herald
- GoLocalProv
- Valley Breeze
- WPRI
- Wikipedia: Healthcare in the United States
