Charity sues hospital over free bed for needy

The charity sued in November after negotiations stalled over whether the charity had the right to nominate patients.

Though little is known about Lippitt, her will left $4,000 to the hospital for the creation of a "permanent free bed" named in honor of her late father.

Court papers say the hospital was raising money at the time by offering permanent free medical beds in exchange for donations of $4,000, and that by 1923 there were 212 such beds.

Carvelli said the money donated for free beds was put into a restricted account that pays for charity care, but she could not say how much was in that account or how much of its funds are spent annually.

Other lawsuits have been filed over how hospitals have spent their free bed funds, one of them by the state of Connecticut. That 2003 lawsuit, still pending, alleges that Yale-New Haven Hospital hoarded about $37 million in such funds.

Swirbalus said the charity's case is about access to health care, not money.

Caprio said his group's clients are in especially great need because Rhode Island's massive budget deficit has spurred proposals to reduce the state's subsidized insurance program for the poor.

"It's access to health care for some of the neediest and most vulnerable citizens of Rhode Island," he said. "They're our clients."

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