Four recent stories about physicians:
1. Farrah Forough Farizani, DO, medical director of Hillcroft Physicians in Houston was among four charged March 2 with healthcare billing fraud. According to the indictment, the practice billed Medicare and Medicaid for services as though Dr. Farizani performed them, even when she was out of the country. Dr. Farizani and Hillcroft operator Hamid Reza Razavi, are also accused of telling two others to pose as licensed medical professionals to diagnose and treat patients. Click here to read the full release.
2. Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans offered to reinstate Princess Dennar, MD, the school's first Black female residency director, according to a March 2 report from WDSU, an NBC affiliate. The school suspended Dr. Dennar in February after reviewing her residency program. She had previously accused the school of racism, sexism and retaliation in a federal lawsuit. Click here to read the full article.
3. UnitedHealth subsidiary Optum signed a definitive agreement March 2 to acquire Atrius Health, a 715-physician group based in Newton, Mass. Click here for the full article.
4. Chad Couch, MD, was named president of Kingsport, Tenn.-based Ballad Health's northeast market and CEO of Bristol (Tenn.) Regional Medical Center March 1. Dr. Couch is a urologic surgeon and served as interim president of the northeast market and interim CEO of Bristol Regional since last year. Click here to read the full article.