Tallahassee Memorial patient refuses to leave hospital room after discharge

Tallahassee Memorial patient remains in a hospital room after being discharged, hospital officials said on March 19, 2026. The patient has occupied Room 373 since a formal discharge order was issued Oct. 6, and the health system has filed a lawsuit seeking a court order to remove her and, if necessary, permit the county sheriff's office to assist.

In legal filings, Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare says the continued presence of the patient is blocking use of the bed for acute care and has required staff to divert resources from other patients. The hospital states it has repeatedly tried to coordinate the woman’s departure with family members and offered transportation to obtain identification documents the patient reportedly needs. The suit notes she has remained in the room for more than five months; it does not disclose the nature of her treatment, the amount of any hospital bill or how she has continued to stay after discharge. The patient is representing herself in the action, and no attorney is listed for her. Calls to numbers associated with her were disconnected and a call placed to the hospital room went unanswered.

An online court hearing on the hospital’s request is scheduled for the end of the month. Hospital attorney Rachel Givens declined to comment, and spokeswoman Macy Layton said the facility could not discuss active litigation. Federal rules under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) require hospitals receiving Medicare funds to stabilize emergency cases and allow discharge once clinicians determine further care can be handled as outpatient with appropriate follow-up instructions.