Federal investigators have been probing King's Daughters Medical Center in Ashland, Ky., since 2011 for overstenting, according to a Bloomberg report.
State data also show that, at its 2011 peak, the hospital was home to 28 percent more stent-related procedures than any other hospital in Kentucky, according to the report. The federal investigation involves scrutiny over stents inserted by cardiologist Richard E. Paulus, MD, who retired this past summer after practicing cardiology in Ashland for 21 years.
King's Daughters recently laid off 150 employees of its 3,800 employee base, an event President and CEO Fred Jackson attributed to financial losses driven by "rumors" of overstenting at the hospital, according to the report.
A separate civil lawsuit was filed in a Kentucky court Sept. 30, naming Dr. Paulus and the hospital as defendants. The suit alleged Dr. Paulus "dramatically" misrepresented the degree of a patient's heart disease to justify a stent implantation. Dr. Paulus' attorney, Robert Bennett, said the cardiologist will vigorously contest all charges, according to the report.
Mr. Bennett is best known for representing President Bill Clinton during the Monica Lewinsky affair.
More Articles on Hospitals and Cardiac Stents:
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OIG's Increased Scrutiny on Heart Stents and ICDs: What It Means For Your Hospital