MUSKEGON HEIGHTS, Mich. — Former employees of the embattled Muskegon Family Care have filed a class-action lawsuit in U.S. District Court.
On Friday, the facility fired employees because of financial problems. Monday, MFC announced it will close on March 31.
The suit, filed Feb. 16, states that about 150 full-time employees "were not provided 60 days advance written notice of their terminations by Defendant, as required by the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act. (WARN Act)"
Plaintiffs in the case seek 60 days of wages and benefits under the WARN Act from Muskegon Family Care. The brief states that MFC employed about 200 people. On Monday, interim CEO Mitze Alexander told FOX 17 those who remain are helping the facility during its winding down period.
Wednesday, Hackley Community Care announced it's stepped up to help take on some of the thousands of patients affected. CEO Linda Juarez says HCC heard rumblings of the financial woes at MFC in December.
Juarez told FOX 17, "Their new board and interim CEO was focused on keeping the doors open. That was their strategy. So our focus was worse case scenario what if they can't?"
She says HCC has been on standby to help a fraction of what she says may be closer to about 17,500 people.
The efforts include bringing on new medical providers.
"Currently, in the transition we believe we could take up to half of those patients. So there's realistically 6,000 dental and (11,500) of the medical," she explained.
Juarez says it's a process taking on new patients, and people will need to be patient.
FOX 17 reached out to a spokesperson for Muskegon Family Care on the lawsuit and was told they have no comment at this time.
As previously reported, state police are investigating possible embezzlement under the previous CEO Sheila Bridges. Attempts to reach her have been unsuccessful.
