Becker's Spine Review

28 PRACTICE MANAGEMENT NY spine practice to pay $100K patient records settlement By Alan Condon N Y Spine Medicine agreed to pay $100,000 to settle a claim of not providing a patient timely access to her medical records. "No one should have to wait over a year to get copies of their medical records," Roger Severino, director of the Office for Civil Rights at HHS, said in an Oct. 9 news release. "HI- PAA entitles patients to timely access to their records, and we will continue our stepped-up enforcement of the right of access until covered entities get the message." In July 2019, the patient charged that despite repeated requests to NY Spine Medicine for certain med- ical records, she failed to receive all of them in a timely manner. The practice, which has locations in New York City and Miami Beach, Fla., gave her some records, but not the diagnostic films she specif- ically requested, according to her complaint. The Office for Civil Rights found that the practice's failure to provide the records violated HIPAA's right of access standard, which entitles pa- tients to timely and affordable ac- cess to their medical records. The patient did not receive copies of her requested medical records until October, more than a year after her request and after a fed- eral investigation of her complaint ended. The corrective action plan that NY Spine Medicine has agreed to fol- low includes two years of monitor- ing. n Sanford investing up to $40M on orthopedic center renovation By Alan Condon S anford Health plans to spend up to $40 million to renovate its orthopedic center at its South University Medical Center in Fargo, N.D., according to an Oct. 9 Inforum report. The Sioux Falls, S.D.-based health system said it will add up to four operating rooms, expand urgent care space and upgrade imaging services, which will fea- ture an on-site MRI scanner. Orthopedic surgery, sports medicine and rehabilitation services are provided at the facility, which is expected to complete renovations by next spring. Sanford said it also is planning a heart and vascular center, projected to cost $43 million to $46 million. Groundbreaking is set for spring 2022 and completion by fall 2023. With several expansion projects called off or put on hold due to economic difficulties prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic, Sanford Fargo President Bryan Nermoe told Inforum that this is where being "part of a large, integrat- ed system" comes into play, providing the financial stability to move these projects forward. n Orthopedic surgeons excluded from Steadman Clinic merger will join competing office — 3 details By Angie Stewart T wo orthopedic surgeons who aren't included in e Steadman Clinic's acquisition of OrthoAspen plan to compete head-to-head with the combined venture, according to e Aspen Times. What you should know: 1. Tomas Pevny, MD, and Mark Purnell, MD, reportedly weren't able to agree on contract terms with e Steadman Clinic in Vail, Colo., and will not be part of its deal to absorb OrthoAspen — which is part of Aspen (Colo.) Valley Hospital — Dec. 1. 2. Excluded from the 14-surgeon venture between e Steadman Clinic and AVH, which will involve developing an orthopedic ASC in Basalt, Colo., Drs. Pevny and Purnell have agreed to join Glenwood Springs, Colo.-based Valley View. ey will begin seeing patients this December at a new ValleyOrtho office expected to open in the fall in Aspen. 3. Formerly called the Glenwood Orthopedics Center and Foot and Ankle Center at Valley View, ValleyOrtho has a team of seven providers with the addition of Drs. Pevny and Purnell. Both orthopedic surgeons were partners at Aspen Orthopaedic Associates before they and others sold it in 2015 to AVH, which renamed the practice OrthoAspen in 2016. n

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