Comments on: Stent-happy docs on notice in Maryland health care fraud debate

By: Carolyn Thomas

Carolyn Thomas — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 14:19:50 +0000

Chris, I’m assuming you might be related to former St. Joe’s CEO John Tolmie, reported by The Baltimore Business Journal first as having “resigned in May 2009 amid a federal investigation of the hospital” and subsequently (July 29, 2011) “fired amid a federal investigation into the stent procedures”. I’ve been unable to find the sources you mention from this summer – please forward them and I’ll be happy to change the word ‘fired‘ to ‘resigned‘.

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By: Chris

Chris — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 05:41:42 +0000

The hospital administrators were never fired! And it was published this summer that there were no ties between the adminstrators and Midei. Do not state your supposed facts without proof.

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By: Carolyn Thomas

Carolyn Thomas — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 02:07:58 +0000

Hello Chris and thanks for your comments here. Nobody would argue that stents aren’t appropriate for some patients (including me – I had a stent implanted in a fully occluded left anterior descending coronary artery that resulted in heart attack in 2008). But many recent well-designed clinical studies conclude that even though drug therapy alone can reduce the risk of heart attack and death in people with stable coronary artery disease just as well as more expensive invasive procedures, many cardiologists continue to use interventions like propping open blocked arteries with costly stents instead of first trying medication as current guidelines recommend. For more on this, read “You Can Lead a Cardiologist to Water But, Apparently, You Can’t Make Him Drink”.

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By: Chris Harlow

Chris Harlow — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 00:14:13 +0000

There is the potential for any surgeon to do procedures that are not medically necessary, weather its inserting hip replacements, doing simple arthroscopic procedures, or anything else.

Of course all supply companies want the doctors to use their products or prescribe their drugs. Most doctors are honest enough not to be lead by temptation, and they actually do whats in the best interest of their patients.

Cardiac stenting is a wonderful procedure for those that need it. I have seen some patients need the same artery stented 17 times because they had a high restenosis rate. Their only other option would have been bypass surgery and if their stents closed imagine what would happen to grafts. It is a common fact that stenting keeps people from having major heart attacks and also keeps people from needing bypass surgeries.

We are a lucky society that we have the medical technology available to us, and a few dishonest greedy doctors should not cast the whole profession in a bad light. Everyone has the right to a second opinion. My father right now has been told he has to have 2 bilateral fem pop bypasses because his stents are closed. You can bet he will be getting a second opinion before I let anyone cut on him, I am grateful we have this option. It would be our fault if we didnt exercise the right to get that second opinion.

Is what Im saying here making any sense? If people want to omit fraud from the medical industry maybe laws should be passed that everyone get that second opinion before any procedure or surgery is done.. maybe then hospitals wouldnt be settling after the fact and thus no police dog activity would be needed to stop fraud……2 certified medical opinions required….. then one doctor would have less chance to do things not needed, and we in the medical profession can continue saving lives and doing the things we got into the field to do…… care for people…

just a thought

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By: Carolyn Thomas

Carolyn Thomas — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 01:26:57 +0000

Hi Terri – Though Drs. Morcos and Bousamra are no longer on Westmoreland’s staff, they are still members of the Westmoreland County Cardiology medical practice. After Westmoreland’s internal review, letters were sent to all patients identified by the reviewers as having potentially unnecessary stents implanted. The names of both doctors were then turned over to the Office of the Inspector General in the Department of Health and Human Services. If you were one of the stent patients who received a warning letter from Westmoreland, you can contact the Inspector General’s office, Westmoreland hospital, or Dr. Morcos directly for more information.
Cheers,
C

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By: terri pardus

terri pardus — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 23:43:02 +0000

how does one find out if DR Ehab Morcos was getting kickbacks, incentives or whatever at westmoreland hospital in greensburg PA for placing in unnecessary heart stents ????

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By: BMW

BMW — Sun, 20 Mar 2011 01:44:18 +0000

I agree Sue – this guy is a scumbag.

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By: Rod Ascot

Rod Ascot — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 16:07:04 +0000

Theres apparently a pro-stent website set up by Midei (his lawyers? his relatives?) where his supporters can go online and write nice things about what a great guy he is.

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By: M.W.B

M.W.B — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 11:47:31 +0000

This guy did my sister’s stent procedure. We were told at the time he was “the best”. Little did we know at the time that his skill was due to doing so many unnecessary procedures. He should be in jail, as should the hospital administrators who allowed him to operate.

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By: Carolyn Thomas

Carolyn Thomas — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 23:46:32 +0000

To my knowledge, no. Midei was eventually fired by St. Joseph, has not yet been charged with a crime, and, according to the Baltimore Business Journal, none of the patients identified in the hospital’s investigation have died.

But the hospital’s own investigation has led to class-action and individual lawsuits filed against Midei, the firing of former St. Joseph CEO John K. Tolmie and two other hospital executives, a federal government investigation into St. Joseph’s cardiac business, and a state inquiry into the possible violation of patient safety regulations. And because of the procedure’s $15,000 average price tag, it gets special attention from insurers and regulators in search of health care fraud.

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By: Sue

Sue — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 23:16:13 +0000

Holy crap!

What happened to the “do no harm” part of this man’s oath? Scumbag.

This is so outrageous… if I was a Maryland prosecutor, I’d try charging this guy with assault, reckless endangerment and possibly even attempted murder.

Did any of these patients die of complications related to these unnecessary surgeries?

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