54
HEALTHCARE
NEWS
ADVERTISINGINDEX
Note: Ad page number(s) given in parentheses
ADVERTISER
ASCs Inc. ascs-inc.com / (760) 751-0250 (pg. 39)
ASD Managment. books@asdmanagement.com / asdmanagement.com (pg. 35)
BioFire. biofiredx.com / (801) 736-6354 (pg. 13)
Boston Scientific. bostonscientific.com/all-in (pg. 3)
Compulink. compulinkadvantage.com/ascehr / (805) 716-8688 (pg. 29)
Cygnus Medical. cygnusmedical.com / (800) 990-7489 (pg. 11)
Echelon Medical Capital. echelonmedicalcapital.com /
(855) 535-7243 (pg. 55)
eSutures. info@esutures.com / esutures.com / (844) 788-8737 (pg. 52)
Innovative Sterilization Technologies.iststerilization.com /
(937) 619-0138 (pg. 7)
InstaMed. instamed.com/payment-assurance (pg. 46)
LeanTaaS. leantaas.com / (650) 409-3247 (pgs. 18-21)
Leiters. leiters.com / (800) 292-6772 (pg. 6)
Mölnlycke. hibiclens.com / (470) 375-0000 (pg. 9)
National Medical Billing Services. nationalascbilling.com /
(866) 948-7170 (pg. 56)
STERIS. steris-ims.com / (800) 783-9251 (pg. 33)
Stryker. stryker.com/blu62/beckers / (800) 253-3210 (pg. 37)
Zimmer Bioment. zimmerbiomet.com/surgical / (800) 348-2759 (pg. 2)
Ex-Missouri
hospital CEO
faces criminal
charges in
$114M billing
fraud case
By Ayla Ellison
D
avid Byrns, the former CEO of Put-
nam County Memorial Hospital in
Unionville, Mo., has been charged in
a billing fraud scheme that came to light in
2017, according to e Kansas City Star.
Mr. Byrns was charged Sept. 27 with con-
spiracy to commit healthcare fraud in the
federal district court for the Western District
of Missouri. He was allegedly part of a scheme
to submit fraudulent claims for laboratory
services to insurers for patients who never
visited Putnam County Memorial Hospital.
Mr. Byrns took control of the 15-bed hospital
in 2016 under a management agreement with
Hospital Partners, a company he ran with
Jorge Perez, according to the Kansas City
Business Journal. In 2017, Missouri Auditor
Nicole Galloway's office raised concerns about
a billing arrangement Hospital Partners set
up with Putnam County Memorial Hospital.
Ms. Galloway released a report alleging the
hospital received $90 million in questionable
insurance payments in less than a year.
According to court documents cited by e
Kansas City Star, Mr. Byrns and others al-
legedly submitted false claims for blood and
urine tests to private insurers and an affiliate
of Missouri's Medicaid program between
October 2016 and February 2018. e hos-
pital was paid $114 million for the allegedly
fraudulent claims, $63 million of which was
transferred to a lab operator in Florida under
contract with the hospital.
"is all began with our audit of a small
county-owned hospital," Ms. Galloway said
in a statement to e Kansas City Star. "Our
work helped expose a nationwide conspiracy
that led to these federal criminal charges."
Mr. Byrns has reportedly agreed to plead
guilty to participating in the scheme. e
case will be transferred to a federal court in
Florida for Mr. Byrns' plea and sentencing.
n
How nurse salary has changed over time
+ where nurses are paid the most
By Rachel Popa
Medscape released its 2019 RN/
LPN compensation report.
Medscape surveyed a total of 7,145
nurses for the report, including
5,143 registered nurses and 2,002
licensed practical nurses.
How average RN salary has
changed in the past three years:
2018: $80,000
2017: $81,000
2016: $80,000
2015: $78,000
How average RN salary differs by
region:
Pacific: $96,000
New England: $87,000
Mid-Atlantic: $84,000
Mountain: $79,000
West South Central: $78,000
East North Central: $76,000
South Atlantic: $75,000
West North Central: $73,000OIG
said in a press release. "Instead of
receiving quality care, Medicare
beneficiaries may be victimized in
the form of scare tactics, identity
theft, and in some cases, left to pay
out of pocket. We will continue
working with our law enforcement
partners to investigate those who
steal from federal healthcare pro-
grams and protect the millions of
Americans who rely on them."
n
