This report originally appeared in the June 2010 issue of DOTmed Business News

The U.S. Department of Justice announced it has intervened in a false claims act lawsuit alleging that Satilla Health Services Inc., doing business as Satilla Regional Medical Center, and Dr. Najam Azmat submitted claims to Medicare and Medicaid involving medically substandard and unnecessary services.

According to the complaint, Azmat was alleged to have performed interventional angiography/arteriography procedures, including invasive peripheral intervention procedures he was not qualified or credentialed to perform. The complaint states that Azmat was on staff even after the hospital was aware that his privileges at another hospital were restricted due to the high complication rate on his surgeries.
The complaint alleges at least one of Azmat's endovascular patients died due to perforation of the renal artery, which occurred due to his lack of training and competence and that Azmat did not take appropriate action to address the complication of the surgery. The complaint was originally filed through a qui tam "whistleblower" by a nurse who worked for Satilla, one of several who had complained to hospital administrators regarding Azmat's alleged incompetence.

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