The president of All Children’s Hospital says it will keep recruiting specialists and hiring its own doctors, despite a whistle-blower lawsuit and $7 million settlement, the Tampa Bay Timesreports.
Dr. Jonathan Ellen was not president when the St. Petersburg hospital was accused of overcompensating physicians, a violation under the federal Stark law, which concerns doctors who refer patients to hospitals with which they have a financial relationship. He told the Times the hospital settled to avoid additional legal costs. Stakes are high in Stark lawsuits, as illustrated by a recent $85-million settlement by Halifax Health.
