Bermuda's attorney general filed a lawsuit against Boston-based Lahey Hospital & Medical Center last week accusing the hospital group of bribing the island's former premier Ewart F. Brown, MD, in exchange for preferential treatment in winning government healthcare contracts. In an interview this week, Dr. Brown defended his 20-year relationship with Lahey, claiming the lawsuit is racially and politically motivated, according to The Boston Globe.
Dr. Brown told The Boston Globe that when he returned to Bermuda from Los Angeles in the early 1990s he discovered there were no physicians on the island who specialized in neurology, rheumatology or pulmonary services. He also found the latest mammography technology was not available there. After visiting hospitals across the U.S. trying to find one that would send its specialists to Bermuda to treat patients, he struck a consulting deal with Lahey in 1996, according to the report.
The federal lawsuit filed against Lahey last week centers on its relationship with Dr. Brown, which spanned more than 20 years, including his time as Bermuda's premier from 2006 to 2010. Lahey is accused of paying Dr. Brown consulting fees in exchange for his help in securing government healthcare contracts.
Dr. Brown disputes those allegations. "When you take a contract that has been fully vetted and stood the test of time for 20 years and call it a bribe, that's insulting," he said, according to The Boston Globe.
The lawsuit also alleges Bermuda's public health plans paid Lahey millions to have its staff interpret CT and MRI scans that were performed at Dr. Brown's clinics in Bermuda. Dr. Brown denies those allegations. He claims patients had to wait weeks for scan results before Lahey's involvement, according to the report.
In a statement to Becker's last week, Lahey spokesman Chris Murphy said Lahey will defend itself against the allegations. "We are concerned that this lawsuit is likely motivated by internal island politics, not business practices," he said.
Dr. Brown told The Boston Globe he believes the lawsuit is politically and racially motivated. He claims Bermuda's attorney general Trevor Moniz is targeting him because he is aligned with the opposition party and is a successful, black businessman, according to the report.
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