Maryland Cardiologist Falsified Patient Medical Records, Among other Breaches of Duty

An Eastern Shore cardiologist convicted of healthcare fraud, among other charges, by a federal jury in July has been sentenced to 8 years in prison by a United States District Court. The now retired doctor was convicted for implanting needless cardiac stents in patients at Salisbury’s Peninsula Regional Medical Center, falsifying patient records, and then billing private and public insurers hundreds of thousands of dollars for the procedures.

This doctor is the second U.S. physician to receive federal prison time for inappropriate stent placement; a Louisiana doctor was sentenced to 10 years in prison in 2009 for the same reasons.

A stent is a tiny mesh tube that can restore blood flow and potentially save the life of a person experiencing a heart attack, or it can improve the quality of life for an individual with symptoms of clogged arteries. Though they can be beneficial, stents can lead to serious complications such as blood clots, making this doctor’s unnecessary placement of these in patients a very dangerous and possibly life-threatening issue. The Eastern Shore doctor was found to have overestimated arterial blockage in patients and falsified medical records to justify the placement of the stents in a procedure that costs around $10,000.

Thousands of people everyday place their trust in medical professionals to provide excellent and reliable healthcare. However, when a doctor makes a medically-negligent mistake, it can result in undue injury to the patient, or may even cost a patient his or her life. The Maryland medical malpractice lawyers of Alpert Schreyer can help if you feel a doctor acted in a negligent manner which negatively impacted your health and well-being. Please call (800) 489-1577 for a complimentary consultation on your case.