HOUSTON — Doctors and patients at The Heights Hospital want answers. They showed up to work Monday to find the locks had been changed on the building and they were no longer allowed inside.
On Tuesday, some were allowed inside briefly.
"We have been out here for a few hours before finally, they let us in two at a time to get items out of the building," Family Medicine Physician Dr. Tisha Rowe said.
A lawsuit filed in Harris County on Jan. 8 gives a little insight into what is going on. The lawsuit says Arbitra Capital Partners LLC., out of Nevada, lent $28 million to 1917 Heights Hospital LLC.
In the lawsuit, Arbitra claims The Heights Hospital owes them money and now they’re seeking more than $2 million.
According to court documents, The Heights Hospital failed to pay the management and maintenance expenses for the property, including invoices for utilities, elevator repair and property insurance.
Doctors said they had no idea the management company wasn’t handling the bills and now they’re concerned that their staff won't get paid and are also worried about their patients.
"In the middle of a pandemic to take away health care access even further than what we already have issues with is just atrocious," Dr. Felicity Mack said.
Local Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee said it's not acceptable. Now, she's seeking help to allow the doctors to transfer their patients elsewhere.
"That is what I am asking for now. Maybe it will be resolved in 45 days ... give everyone a chance, particularly the physicians to have the right kind of transition for their patients and maybe on the business side it can be resolved," Jackson Lee said.
KHOU contacted the defendants listed in the lawsuit. They passed us along to a Tidal Property Management Company. That company had no comment. We also reached out to Arbitra’s attorney and have not heard back.