Author: Patsy Newitt

CMS is adding prior authorization requirements for certain fee-for-service procedures under traditional Medicare as part of its new Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction model. A total of 17 procedures, identified by CMS as especially vulnerable to fraud, waste or overuse,…

Winter Haven, Fla.-based Bond Clinic, a 90-provider physician group, has been acquired by AdventHealth. Altamonte Springs, Fla.-based AdventHealth purchased the group’s 28-specialty assets and care sites located throughout Polk County. “We are excited to welcome the providers and team members…

As certified registered nurse anesthetists gain broader legal authority to practice independently in many states and as the anesthesia workforce shortage deepens, many leaders are seeing ASCs adopting CRNA-only anesthesia models. A white paper from Medicus Healthcare Solutions found that…

A Washington, D.C., physician has been sentenced to 18 years in prison for illegally prescribing narcotics in exchange for cash, the Justice Department said in a June 26 news release.  What happened? 

As the outpatient surgery landscape rapidly expands, anesthesia practices are undergoing a pivotal transformation.  Ten anesthesia leaders joined Becker’s to discuss how their roles are shifting to meet the demands of increasingly complex procedures, rising patient acuity, and evolving financial…

Here are nine anesthesiologist lawsuits that Becker’s has reported on since Jan. 1: 1. A Florida physician has been charged with felony possession of fentanyl after allegedly extracting it from a patient’s IV line at HCA Florida Lawnwood Hospital in…

Here are five physician fraud cases Becker’s has reported on since June 17: 1. Columbus, Ohio-based Robert Florea, MD, was sentenced to 24 months in prison for a $1.5 million Medicaid fraud scheme. Dr. Florea fraudulently billed the Ohio Department…

Leopoldo V. Rodriguez, MD, is an attending anesthesiologist and perioperative medicine consultant at the Medical University of South Carolina’s Lancaster Medical Center, with more than 20 years of experience shaping ambulatory anesthesia programs across the U.S. and abroad. Dr. Rodriguez’s…

A Columbus, Ohio-based former physician was sentenced to 24 months in prison for a $1.5 million Medicaid fraud scheme, the Ohio Attorney General said in a June 25 news release.  What happened?

Gary Richberg, RN, CASC, is the CEO of Bellingham (Wash.) Urology Group, bringing decades of leadership experience across physician-owned, corporate-managed and hospital joint-venture ASCs. Dr. Richberg is a U.S. Navy veteran and seasoned healthcare executive with a proven track record…