Democratic Sens. Ed Markey and Bernie Sanders are working with Republicans to put a contempt citation vote together against Dallas-based Steward Health Care's CEO Ralph de la Torre, MD, after he declined to take part in a Sept. 12 bipartisan Senate committee hearing.

On Sept. 4, two South Carolina residents filed a proposed class-action lawsuit against Walgreens, alleging the retailer failed to warn customers about a carcinogenic ingredient in a common cold medicine. 

Atlanta-based Piedmont Healthcare has beat a lawsuit that alleged it shared patients' personally identifiable information and protected health information with Facebook, Top Class Actions reported Sept. 4. 

The co-owner and CFO of a Baton Rouge, La.-based clinic was sentenced to 32 months in prison for his role in a $127 million Medicare fraud scheme, The Advocate reported Sept. 3. 

Eighteen former patients, or families of patients who died, have filed a $303 million medical malpractice and wrongful death lawsuit against Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center in Medford, Ore., over a drug diversion case that allegedly harmed dozens of patients, according to the Rogue Valley Times.

Steward Health Care Chairman and CEO Ralph de la Torre, MD, has declined to participate in a bipartisan Senate committee hearing scheduled for Sept. 12, despite being subpoenaed, Bloomberg reports. 

From HHS dropping an appeal of a data tracking lawsuit to a Montana health system settling false claims allegations, here are 10 healthcare industry lawsuits, settlements and legal actions Becker's has reported since Aug. 21: 

An in-custody patient reportedly fired shots inside the Jefferson Cherry Hill (N.J.) Hospital emergency department, according to local media outlets. 

The healthcare industry is on the brink of a transformative shift in the way prior authorizations are managed. Traditionally, prior authorizations have relied heavily on an attestation model, where providers attest to the necessity of a procedure based on standardized questions. This model has been convenient, especially for high-frequency procedures, as it minimizes the administrative burden on both providers and payers.

The Drug Enforcement Agency has charged 42 people in connection with a sweeping pharmacy burglary scheme across the United States. 

Kaleida Health's former chief of surgery has accused the Buffalo, N.Y.-based system of harassing and punishing him for reporting patient safety concerns and professional misconduct, according to court documents obtained by Becker's. 

A California physician was sentenced to 37 months in prison for his role in a $2.8 million Medicare fraud scheme. 

Helena, Mont.-based St. Peter's Health will pay more than $10.8 million to settle allegations that it submitted false claims to federal healthcare programs for oncology services.

A contract nurse at a Missouri hospital filed a lawsuit against her former employer over allegations of unlawful hour cuts, St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported Aug. 25. 

A 54-year-old man has been charged with assault and battery after allegedly impersonating a physician and performing unauthorized cosmetic surgery on a woman in Los Angeles in July 2021.

The medical center director and chief of staff at Buffalo (N.Y.) VA Medical Center have been "immediately transferred" out of their positions as the VA awaits results from an investigation into care delays at the hospital.

The former CEO of Virginia Gay Hospital, a privately operated, nonprofit rural hospital in Vinton, Iowa, pleaded guilty Aug. 20 to one count of wire fraud for embezzling more than $3.2 million from his former California employer, according to the Justice Department.

An Oregon man faces multiple charges after allegedly targeting Jewish hospitals in New York with hoax bomb threats, according to the Justice Department.

Edison, N.J.-based Hackensack Meridian Health and the Justice Department have reached an agreement to resolve allegations that the health system violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by refusing to allow a service animal into a medical office, according to the department.

Five states have passed healthcare noncompete bans, and seven states have introduced similar bills.