30
HEALTHCARE
NEWS
AAAHC. info@aaahc.org / www.aaahc.org/institute / (847) 853-
6060 (pg. 6)
Arthrex. cptr.it//endo4k (pgs. 2-3)
ASCOA. development@ascoa.com / www.ascoa.com / (866)
982-7262 (pg. 10)
Boston Scientific. endoscopysolutions@bsci.com / www.
bostonscientific.com/endoscopysolutions (pg. 14)
ClearGage. cleargage.com / (888) 851-5859 (pg. 31)
Cygnus Medical. www.cygnusmedical.com / (800) 990-7489
(pg. 24)
eSutures. info@esutures.com / www.esutures.com / (888) 416-
2409 (pg. 17)
gMed. gmed.com / (954) 541-8240 (pgs. 10-13)
Healthmark. www.hmark.com / (800) 521-6224 (pg. 26)
IBSS. www.ibss.net (pg. 16)
Live Oak Bank. liveoakbank.com/healthcare / (910) 550-2277
(pg. 28)
Meridian Surgical Partners. www.
meridiansurgicalpartners.com / (615) 301-8140 (pg. 23)
National Medical Billing Services. info@
nationalascbilling.com / www.nationalascbilling.com / (866) 948-
7673 (pg. 732)
OrthAlign. info@orthalign.com / orthalign.com / (866) 582-
0879 (pg. 29)
Paradigm Spine. april.spillane@paradigmspine.com / www.
paradigmspine.com / (561) 573-7882 (pg. 8)
Surgical Notes. sales@surgicalnotes.com / www.
surgicalnotes.com / (800) 459-5616 (pgs. 19-22)
ADVERTISER
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20 States With the Biggest Opioid Problems
By Mary Rechtoris
O
pioid abuse is taking the nation by
storm, with some states and U.S.
regions experiencing more severe
cases than others.
WalletHub compiled a list of the states with
the biggest opioid problems based on metrics
including overdose rates to opioid prescrip-
tions and meth-lab incidents per capita.
e top 20 U.S. regions and states include, in
no particular order:
• Washington, D.C.
• Vermont
• Colorado
• Delaware
• Rhode Island
• Oregon
• Connecticut
• Arizona
• Massachusetts
• Michigan
• New Hampshire
• West Virginia
• New York
• Indiana
• Louisiana
• Missouri
• Maine
• Maryland
• Washington
• North Carolina n
Health System CEO Pulls Out $6M
Check to Pay Debts During Budget
Hearing
By Ayla Ellison
D
aniel Snyder, CEO of Shreveport, La.-based University
Health System, stunned senators Friday when he brought
a check for $6.2 million to a budget hearing to pay debts
owed to Baton Rouge-based Louisiana State University.
Biomedical Research Foundation of Northwest Louisiana in Shreve-
port operates University Health System's hospitals in Shreveport
and Monroe, La. Under a state contract, LSU physicians and stu-
dents provide services at the two hospitals and University Health
System is required to pay LSU for those services. However, the
system has fallen behind on its payments.
During the budget hearing Friday, LSU Health Sciences Center
Shreveport Chancellor G.E. Ghali, DDS, MD, told senators University
Health System owes $12 million for services provided by LSU physi-
cians.
When senators questioned Mr. Snyder about the debt, he said the
bills had not been paid because the invoices sent by LSU didn't
have sufficient supporting documentation, including details regard-
ing the physician services provided.
After additional questioning regarding the unpaid debts, Mr. Sny-
der surprised senators when he pulled out a check for $6.2 million
from his coat pocket to present to Dr. Ghali.
Finance Chairman Sen. Eric LaFleur said he had never seen any-
thing like this occur during a budget hearing. "If this is how you con-
duct business, the future doesn't seem to be too bright," he told Mr.
Snyder during the hearing.
Dr. Ghali said he would work to get Mr. Snyder additional documentation,
but he noted the additional details are not required under the contract
between the parties. n
