According to the lawsuit, Karina Mejias started her position as former director of medical staff services at the hospital on Jan. 8 and was terminated in April. In her role as director of medical staff, Dr. Mejias was required to oversee compliance with medical regulations and ensure that all staff held appropriate credentials.
On Feb. 26, she uncovered that seven members of the cardiothoracic surgery team, including physician assistants, were performing procedures without proper credentialing, according to the lawsuit. These procedures were billed to Medicare, Medicaid and private insurers. Following this discovery, Dr. Mejias reported the issue to health authorities.
According to the lawsuit, her report triggered a series of retaliatory actions. Dr. Mejias claims she faced sudden hostility from senior staff, was excluded from discussions related to credentialing and had meetings abruptly canceled. Ultimately, she was terminated, with the health system citing a “business decision” as the reason for her dismissal.
After her departure, a memo issued to hospital staff on June 6 prohibited physician assistants from performing invasive procedures. A second memo, circulated on June 10, announced that the hospital’s quality department was reviewing and updating credentialing processes for physician assistants.
A spokesperson for the health system told Becker’s that earlier this year, the director of medical staff role was among several management positions eliminated as part of a cost-saving restructuring. The spokesperson also stated that the credentialing issue stemmed from documentation errors in the provider privileges process, which were promptly addressed and audited. They emphasized that all providers involved were fully qualified to deliver patient care.
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