Christ Medical Center in Crystal River, which suddenly shut down last week, has now re-opened. However, almost all members of the previous staff were fired.

  • 20 employees learned last week they were fired
  • Owner asked about half of fired employees back
  • Questions remain about over-testing patients
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Citrus County resident Deborah Garcia, a patient at Christ Medical Center, told us she was thankful the facility opened today after hearing it closed last week.

"Sad. I was very, very sad because I don't see why," Garcia said. "This is a very nice place -- everybody is helpful."

The owner, Dr. Eihab Tawfik, said he had to close the location because of employee performance.

"We send a very strict and clear point that if the productivity -- meaning the volume of patients, the needs of patients, and bringing patients back for follow ups -- if that doesn't come back up, then we're probably going to have to reduce the number of employees,” Tawfik said.

Tawfik also said he did let all of the staff go last week, which was about 20 employees, not 70 employees as initially reported. He said this week he asked about half of them back.

He described the employees working Monday as hard-working.

Many of the former employees we spoke to were concerned Tawfik was over-testing patients, but he said he is simply practicing preventive medicine.

Garcia believes that approach saved her life. She said she went in for knee pain, and later found out she had cancer.

"If they wouldn't have done these testings, I could be dying at this time," Garcia said.

But not everyone is as pleased. Harold Fish brings his wife to the center, and said he doesn't like the facility but keeps bringing her because they take her insurance.

Fish expressed hope that now some changes can be made.

"Too many chiefs, not enough indians," Fish explained. "Everybody wants to be the boss -- doesn't work that way."

For now, Tawfik said they will continue operating with the staff they have and hopefully hire enough people to fill the positions they lost.

Former employees also told us Tawfik was under investigation by the FBI. We reached out to the agency, but no one would comment.

Tawfik said there isn't an investigation -- just standard questioning about the audit process.