Erlanger Health System officials confirmed Friday they are expecting a subpoena from federal authorities regarding expired contracts with the Chattanooga Heart Institute.
Doug Fisher, Erlanger’s vice president of government and corporate affairs, confirmed the subpoena request in a written statement to the Times Free Press.
“We have little information about this situation but do believe it dates back several years,” he said. “The administration has taken very extensive and expensive measures in the compliance area in recent years, and we are very confident that steps are in place to assure that our contracts follow all legal requirements.”
Donald White, a spokesman for the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General, declined to say whether his agency is involved.
“As a matter of investigative procedure, we can neither confirm nor deny operations that may be pending before the agency,” he said.
In a 2005 settlement that sapped hospital reserves, Erlanger paid $40 million to the U.S. Justice Department amid allegations that hospital officials violated anti-kickback statutes.
“Any time we receive requests for information from the federal government, we are always ready to comply and look forward to resolutions to their questions,” Fisher said.
For complete details, see tomorrow’s Times Free Press.
Chris Carroll covers federal politics for the Times Free Press. A Chattanooga native, he went to Red Bank High School and graduated with honors from East Tennessee State University. Chris investigated violent crime, municipal government and hospitals before taking the political beat. For tornado coverage, he and Pam Sohn won a first-place Tennessee Associated Press Managing Editors deadline reporting award. In 2010, Chris won the Golden Press Card Award of Merit and another deadline reporting ...
Why is it that the Justice Department collects a $40 million fine instead of setting up a settlement fund to reimburse the people who were ripped off by the kick back scheme of the hospital?
BETTER QUESTION: WHY DIDN'T TIMES HAVE THIS YESTERDAY, WHEN CHATTANOOGAN.COM HAD IT?
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