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54 HEALTHCARE NEWS Florida ASC Director Dr. Johnny Benjamin Charged with Felony Opioid Trafficking, Robbery: 7 Things to Know By Mary Rechtoris I ndian River County officials charged 51-year-old orthopedic spine surgeon Johnny Benjamin, MD, with felony fentanyl trafficking, robbery and grand the, according to TC Palm. Here are seven things to know. 1. Officials received a report from an individ- ual who claimed Dr. Benjamin grabbed the man's cellphone at Vero Beach, Fla.-based Pro Spine Center and proceeded to place the phone in a peanut jar filled with cotton balls, according to TC Palm. Police arrested Dr. Benjamin for the allegations related to the phone. 2. In addition to the two felonies related to the phone, the state's attorney's office also charged Dr. Benjamin with attempting to traffic fentanyl. Assistant State Attorney Ryan Butler did not comment on the fentanyl charge. Regarding the cellphone's relation to the fentanyl charge, Mr. Ryan said, "Don't assume that one stemmed from the other." 3. Sebastian Daily reports Dr. Benjamin said during an interview with police he did not know anything regarding the phone incident. 4. Dr. Benjamin is a past chairman of Indian River Medical and the director of Medical Specialties Surgery Center, both located in Vero Beach. 5. He completed his orthopedic surgery residency at Philadelphia-based Temple University Hospital and his spine fellowship at Clearwater-based Florida Spine Institute. 6. Dr. Benjamin practices out of Pro Spine Center, a 5,000-square-foot ASC. e company owning the building housing Pro Spine Center tried to evict Dr. Benjamin in December 2015. In 2013, Dr. Benjamin faced malpractice changes as well as a wrongful death suit in 2011. 7. Dr. Benjamin's hearing is scheduled for Oct. 20. n Hospital Surgery Center Scrutinized for Increased Case Load — Board Considers CON Review By Eric Oliver T he Green Mountain Care Board is debating whether Morris- town, Vt.-based Copley Hospital is in violation of its certifi- cate of need, the VTDigger reports. Here's what you should know: 1. The board issued a CON in February 2016 for the hospital to replace its surgery center and modify its outpatient surgery center. However, the board is debating whether the hospital is violating its CON after the center began taking in more revenue than what was anticipated. 2. The board scrutinized Copley's surgical program twice before. In 2016, the care board alleged the center was performing com- plex surgeries that should've been performed at a larger hospital because of an increase in expenses. Copley CEO Art Mathisen committed to lowering expenses. The aforementioned complaint about the center making too much money was made last week. 3. Board member Jessica Holmes commended Copley's surgical program but said she was disappointed that the hospital was taking in more money than what it provided the board during budget guidance. 4. Mr. Mathisen said the center's positive reputation is causing an influx of patients. 5. Mr. Mathisen anticipates that surgeries will flatten out in the fu- ture. The hospital does not plan to hire any additional surgeons. n 3 States that Added the Most ASCs from 2016-2017 By Laura Dyrda F rom June 2016 to June 2017, most states added one or two ASCs; however, three states added in the double digits. According to data provided by CMS, California, Texas and Georgia all reported double-digit growth in the number of Medicare-certified ASCs over the past year: • California added 26 centers • Texas added 13 centers • Georgia added 12 centers While these three states experienced great gains, other states reported the number of ASCs decreased over the same time period. Tennes- see, Oregon and South Carolina reported the largest deficits, having four to six fewer ASCs by June 2017 than they did in June 2016. Several factors contribute to whether states add or lose centers, including competition in mature markets, consolidation and loosening of certifi- cate-of-need laws. There is also a trend toward outpatient surgery nationwide, as ASCs provide a high-quality, low-cost site of service. n

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