Center, Texas-based Shelby Regional Medical Center's former CFO, Joe White, has been ordered to pay more than $4.4 million in restitution for his role in a healthcare fraud scheme, according to a KXXV report.
Mr. White pleaded guilty in November to making a false statement. Mr. White admitted he had attested to successful meaningful use of an EHR, even though Shelby Regional did not meet meaningful use requirements. Mr. White also made false statements regarding other hospitals converting to electronic records technology, according to the report.
As a result of Mr. White's false statements, the group of hospitals collected nearly $17 million in government incentive funds, according to the report.
In November, Mr. White also pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft for using an employee's name to falsify documentation for the incentive funds that Shelby Regional received, according to the report.
In March, Tariq Mahmood, MD — the owner of Shelby Regional and the other hospitals involved in the scheme — was sentenced to more than 11 years in prison for healthcare fraud, conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and identity theft.
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