Three things to know:
1. Plaintiffs in the civil lawsuit include HHS, CMS and Diana Zaldonis, who is the former lead research coordinator in UPMC’s Cardiothoracic Transplantation division. The case was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania in September 2019.
2. Ms. Zaldonis, who became lead research coordinator in 2006, alleges she was dismissed in January 2019 in retaliation for reporting that surgeons were having resident physicians, fellows, nurse practitioners and physician assistants obtain patient consent, without talking to patients themselves.
3. By billing for cases where surgeons had not personally obtained informed patient consent, the suit alleges, UPMC and the surgeons violated federal law, state law and UPMC policy. The plaintiffs want UPMC to be fined for damages, and Ms. Zaldonis is asking to be reinstated with back pay.
More articles on surgery:
Top-paying jobs in 2020 — Surgeons are No. 1
The state of ASCs in June 2020: 10 observations on supply chain, payers, staffing & future growth
Optum leads $26M funding round for digital therapeutics startup
At the Becker’s 32nd Annual Meeting: The Business and Operations of ASCs, taking place October 29-31 in Chicago, ASC leaders, surgeons and healthcare executives will explore strategies to drive growth, enhance operational performance, navigate reimbursement challenges and prepare for the future of ambulatory surgery. Apply for complimentary registration now.