Tenet Problems

[oramar]

Huge number of articles over on calnurse about the investigations of two Tenet surgeons for doing unnecessary surgeries. Don't know all the details, nobody does. Lawsuits from investors over the fact that Tenet dragged it's feet about letting out the info and people were still buying stock. I am surprised Tenet did that, everybody knows that the stock holders are the most important people at Tenet. The stock dropped 50% in one session. Can you imagine the money that was lost. On the other hand it sounds like a big panic over TWO surgeons. Perhaps everyone fears this is the just the beginning. I am going to say something on Tenet and the surgeons side. I think that when the feds want to make a point they pick out a few somebodies and make an example of them. Much easier than going after thousands of surgeons that might be doing unnecessary surgery. This is a situation that will take months or even years to develope fully. I bet a lot of congressmen and senators are getting outraged phone calls from wealthy investors that lost a bundle. I bet some people at the justice department are going to be asked some pointed questions. How do we say it politely, "pressure will be brought to bear." I know I sound cynical, it is almost impossible not to be, it is the feds I am talking about. My recipe for cynicism, take a bunch of rich people and put them in a situation that makes them unhappy, add federal goverment, stir well.

[oramar]

I was wondering just how the whistle got blown. Turns out a priest was worked up at Tenet for heart problems because they ran in his family. From what he says he had no symptoms, just a family history. He was told he needed to have immediate Cabg. He decided to have surgery somewhere else closer to home. Of course the new surgeon insisted on working him up again. They could find no evidence of CAD. He had it checked by several other cardiologist. Everybody said he had normal arteries. Turns out the guy teaches medical ethics at a university. He went to the FBI.

[sjoe]

Nice story, oramar. "The seeds of crime bear bitter fruit," --the Shadow.

[rncountry]

Tenet has a verrrry long history of fraud, going back to before they were called Tenet. I think they were NME or something like that before. I would have to look it up. They actually changed the name to Tenat after a reorganization following a fraud investigation and fines incurred, so that people would not associate them with it.

This was on NPR today too. I wondered when would the government learn? How many times should a business be busted for fraud before they shouldn't be allowed to continue in business?

[oramar]

I had this funny thought last night after last post. I thought these guys are probably huddling somewhere trying to figure out a way to blame it on a nurse or nurses. I am only half kidding.