Hospital Chain Inquiry Cited Needless Cardiac Work

HCA Holdings Inc., the nation’s largest for-profit hospital chain, is under scrutiny by federal investigators over whether doctors in some of its hospitals performed heart procedures on patients who did not need them.

The New York Times reports that the civil division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Miami requested information from HCA in July regarding the necessity of cardiac work performed on patients at some of its Florida hospitals.

According to a review of internal company documents by The Times, HCA’s own investigations had “uncovered evidence as far back as 2002 and as recently as late 2010 showing that some cardiologists at several of its hospitals in Florida were unable to justify many of the procedures they were performing.”

However, none of the documents reviewed by The Times indicated how many procedures there were or how many of the affected patients may have been injured or died as a result.

HCA defended its cardiology practices in a statement on its website.

The HCA inquiry comes amidst debate about the necessity of certain cardiac procedures such as stenting. Last year, medical malpractice lawsuits filed in Maryland alleged that some doctors at Baltimore-area hospitals conducted unnecessary cardiac stent procedures.

If you or a loved one has been injured by a medically unnecessary procedure, contact Sokolove Law for a free legal consultation and to find out if a medical malpractice lawyer may be able to help you. 

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