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FL May Allow Providers to Avoid Past Mental-Health Conditions, Drug Issues on License Applications

By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law

Health care professionals ask patients about their medical histories every day for in treating them. But what happens when they are requested to divulge in their own history to the state as part of the licensing process? Before being licensed in the state of Florida, for example, health care providers are required to disclose if they have been treated for mental-health or substance-abuse disorders within in the past five years. However, this could be changing […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:00:17-04:00February 27, 2019|Mental Health Law Blog|

Broward Health Executives Charged for Conspiring to Get Rid of CEO

By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law

On December 12, 2017, five North Broward Health District executives were hit with criminal charges. A state attorney is alleging violations of Florida’s open government laws for supposedly holding secret meetings at which they decided to terminate the former interim chief executive.

The Broward County State Attorney’s Office served summons on Broward Health’s interim president and CEO Beverly Capasso, current and former board of commissioners members Rocky Rodriguez, Christopher T. Ure and Linda Robison, and general counsel Lynn Barrett. According to court records, a grand jury returned an indictment against them in state circuit court […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:01:36-04:00May 15, 2018|Nursing Law Blog|

Nursing Home Chain Hit With $1.5 Million Verdict in Sex Discrimination Lawsuit as Jury Sides with Former Employee

By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law

On November 2, 2017, a former elder care facility executive was awarded a $1.5 million verdict by a federal jury in Washington state. Irene Riggs claims she was fired for complaining about the “sexually charged” environment created by a supervisor’s inappropriate conduct with a nurse. After a three-day trial, the jury awarded her over $232,000 in lost wages up to the date of trial, nearly $802,000 in future lost wages and $500,000 for loss of enjoyment of life after she was fired by Tennessee-based Life Care Centers of America Inc. (Life Care).

Alleged Sex Discrimination.

In her suit, […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:02:00-04:00May 15, 2018|Nursing Law Blog|

Embezzling Administrator of Pediatric Clinic Faces Health Care Fraud Sentencing

By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law

An administrator of a Louisiana pediatric clinic has recently pleaded guilty in a health care fraud case. She faces up to 10 years in prison and over $200,000 in fines. The charges allege embezzling more than $500,000 of the clinic’s money and diverting it to her personal account, from approximately August through September of 2014. She allegedly used this massive amount of money to purchase luxury items for herself including jewelry, custom artwork and a motorcycle. Much of the money came from reimbursement the clinic received from the state’s Medicaid program.

The Investigation.

The administrator was investigated by […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:01:21-04:00May 15, 2018|Dental Law Blog|

Pennsylvania Nursing Home Settles Wrongful Death Suit, Agrees to Pay $800,000

By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law

On December 21, 2017, the Devereux Foundation in Philadelphia, agreed to pay $800,000 to end a wrongful death suit against staff at The Devereux Pocono Center. The suit accused staff at the organization’s residential behavioral health facility in northeast Pennsylvania of failing to recognize symptoms of an infection in a developmentally disabled resident.

Details of the Wrongful Death Suit.

The family of Megan Ramsey, who died in the care of the Devereux Pocono Center in July 2014, asked a Pennsylvania federal judge to sign […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:01:27-04:00May 15, 2018|Mental Health Law Blog|

Embezzling Administrator of Pediatric Clinic Faces Health Care Fraud Sentencing

By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law

An administrator of a Louisiana pediatric clinic has recently pleaded guilty in a health care fraud case. She faces up to 10 years in prison and over $200,000 in fines. The charges allege embezzling more than $500,000 of the clinic’s money and diverting it to her personal account, from approximately August through September of 2014. She allegedly used this massive amount of money to purchase luxury items for herself including jewelry, custom artwork and a motorcycle. Much of the money came from reimbursement the clinic received from the state’s Medicaid program.

The Investigation.

The administrator was investigated by […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:01:30-04:00May 15, 2018|Health Facilities Law Blog|

Broward Health Executives Charged for Conspiring to Get Rid of CEO

By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law

On December 12, 2017, five North Broward Health District executives were hit with criminal charges. A state attorney is alleging violations of Florida’s open government laws for supposedly holding secret meetings at which they decided to terminate the former interim chief executive.

The Broward County State Attorney’s Office served summons on Broward Health’s interim president and CEO Beverly Capasso, current and former board of commissioners members Rocky Rodriguez, Christopher T. Ure and Linda Robison, and general counsel Lynn Barrett. According to court records, a grand jury returned an indictment against them in state circuit court following […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:01:32-04:00May 15, 2018|Health Facilities Law Blog|