Four anesthesiologists recently made news, including a Tennessee physician who provided medical services to Ukrainian citizens and another physician who settled kickback allegations.
1. Anesthesiologist Russ Frazier, MD, spent two weeks in Ukraine providing medical services and training to civilians, members of the military and other physicians through the nonprofit Global Surgical and Medical Support Group. Dr. Frazier serves as an anesthesiologist at Methodist Medical Center in Oak Ridge, Tenn., as well as chief of the Knox County Rescue and a tactical physician for the Knox County Sheriff's Department.
2. Atlanta-based anesthesia management services company Care Plus Management, its founders Paul Weir and John Morgan, MD, and 18 anesthesia entities that Care Plus owned and operated will pay $7.2 million to settle allegations of kickbacks and false claims. Under the False Claims Act, a whistleblower in the case will receive over $1.3 million from the settlement.
3. Tampa, Fla., anesthesiologist and pain management physician Zachary Bird, MD, was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison. Dr. Bird operated the now-closed Physicians Wellness and Pain Specialists in Tampa from May 2014 to June 2018. He structured $481,526 in cash deposits to evade bank reporting requirements.
4. Phil Eichenholz, MD, CEO of anesthesia at Tacoma, Wash.-based Sound Physicians Anesthesia, joined the "Becker's ASC Review Podcast" to discuss how he thinks using anesthesia care teams allows ASCs to hit their marks in efficiency and patient care.