Stay in the know with Becker's Hospital Review's weekly roundup of the nation's biggest healthcare news. Here's what you need to know this week.
1. Man in NY poses as physician for 3 years before being caught
A man in New York was arrested and accused of posing as a medical doctor and clinical psychologist for three years, according to a CNN report. Although he never completed medical school or a doctoral program, Donald Lee-Edwards' letterhead indicates he has earned the titles of PhD, MD, LP and clinical psychologist. An investigation revealed Mr. Lee-Edwards was operating a fraudulent practice out of a basement apartment where he allegedly provided mental health services to more than 100 patients. He also allegedly called in prescriptions for patients under the identity of a licensed physician. He is now being charged with criminal impersonation, identity theft, unauthorized practice of medicine and criminal diversion of prescription medicine.
2. Former hospital director sentenced to 9 years in prison
Margaret Curtin, the former executive director of Springfield, Ill.-based HSHS St. John's Children's Hospital, was sentenced to nine years in prison on Aug. 14 for stealing $700,000 from the hospital between December 2008 and September 2014, according The State Journal-Register. Most of the money will be repaid. Ms. Curtin also allegedly stole $272,000 from Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center when she was employed there, though it is unclear at this time whether she will face prosecution for this alleged theft.
3. A CNN investigation, a closed heart surgery program, a resigned CEO: What happened at St. Mary's Medical Center?
A chain of events has unfolded since CNN aired a story June 1 about the pediatric cardiothoracic surgery program and mortality rate at St. Mary's Medical Center in West Palm Beach, Fla. In the latest development, St. Mary's CEO David Carbone resigned from his position Wednesday after serving in the role for nine years. Two days before, the hospital announced it permanently closed the surgery program. After a yearlong investigation into the hospital, CNN reported at least nine babies died after having heart surgery at the hospital since 2011, when the pediatric cardiothoracic surgery program opened. St. Mary's blamed "inaccurate media reports" for the program's closure, saying the reports made it "significantly more challenging to build a sustainable volume."
4. Scott Walker announces healthcare plan
Gov. Walker (R-Wis.) declared July 13 plans to run as a Republican candidate in the 2016 presidential election. On Aug. 18 he released his 6.5 page healthcare proposal called "The Day One Patient Freedom Plan," making him the first "top-tier" candidate to deliver a detailed alternative to the Affordable Care Act, according to Politico. His alternative system would award American's without employer-sponsored insurance tax credits for health plans based on age, rather than income or family status. For more details on Gov. Walker's healthcare plan, click here.
5. Anonymous essay exposes physicians' secret misconduct
An anonymous essay published in the Annals of Internal Medicine Aug. 17 reveals unsettling behavior among physicians, according to U.S. News & World Report. In the piece, the unnamed author recounts instances when physicians behaved in an unprofessional manner that went undetected by patients. For instance, the author describes a story a medical student told him about an attending physician who made lewd comments as he cleansed a woman's vaginal area prior to a hysterectomy. In an editorial accompanying the essay, editors of the journal said the purpose of publishing the essay is to dissuade physicians from engaging in disturbing and unprofessional behavior.
6. Scaffolding collapse at Rio Rancho hospital kills 1, injures 7
One construction worker died and seven others were injured, three of them critically, after a six-story scaffolding collapsed Aug. 18 at Rio Rancho, N.M.-based Presbyterian Rust Medical Center, according to the Albuquerque Journal. McCarthy Building Companies is the contractor. All of those injured or killed were construction workers and employees of a subcontractor for McCarthy. An investigation into why the scaffolding collapsed has begun.
7. FDA sends warning letters to scope makers for failing to report infections
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration sent warning letters to three duodenoscope manufacturers — Olympus, Pentax and Fujifilm — after discovering Olympus and Pentax failed to report patient infections to federal regulators within 30 days, according to The Washington Post. The warning letters mark the federal agency's strongest action against the device makers since outbreaks of antibiotic-resistant bacteria linked to scopes at UCLA's Ronald Reagan Medical Center, Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Chicago and Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle made headlines late last year and earlier this year. Most recently, Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena, Calif., reported to health authorities Aug. 19 a potential link between Olympus duodenoscopes and patients who were infected with pseudomonas bacteria.
8. Execs fired as cost of Epic EHR rollout grows at NYC Health and Hospitals
Four executives of New York City Health and Hospitals Corp. have been fired over the past six months while investigators probe the health system's implementation of a new Epic EHR. Hospital officials confirmed to the New York Post that Bert Robles, CIO, was forced to resign in February, and CTO Paul Contino left his position approximately three weeks ago. Additionally, two other administrators and seven consultants were fired, the New York Post reported. The hospital's original contract with Epic, signed in January 2013, priced the implementation at $302 million over 15 years. However, reports indicate the cost of the implementation to date is closer to $764 million. NYC HHC planned for the EHR to be in full operation by 2017, but the enterprisewide go-live is now scheduled for 2018.
9. Advocate Medical Group cleared in 2013 breach lawsuit
An appellate court cleared charges against Downers Grove, Ill.-based Advocate Medical Group stemming from a 2013 data breach that compromised the protected health information of more than 4 million patients, according to the Chicago Tribune. In July 2013, burglars stole four laptops containing sensitive information from Advocate Medical Group's administrative offices, including names, addresses, Social Security numbers and birth dates. No medical records or financial information was included. A class-action lawsuit alleged Advocate Medical Group failed to encrypt computers, take proper security measures and violated patient privacy laws.