Here are seven updates:
Tenet names Howard Hacker SVP, COO
Tenet Healthcare appointed Howard Hacker as senior vice president and COO. As COO, Mr. Hacker will lead the company's ethics and compliance programs, which Tenet's Quality, Compliance and Ethics Program Charter established.
University of Michigan officials present plans to build ASC
Ann Arbor-based University of Michigan and University of Michigan Health System officials provided the Brighton City (Mich.) Council a detailed presentation about plans to construct an ASC. U of M's 313,000-square-foot ambulatory facility will offer more than 40 medical specialties and will have ample space for expansion.
Medical Consultants partners with IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital
Muncie, Ind.-based Medical Consultants is teaming up with IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital, also in Muncie. Medical Consultants will continue offering multispecialty care and procedures at its outpatient surgery center. The agreement is effective Oct. 1.
North Carolina public hearing set on Kernersville ASC
On May 12, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services will host a public hearing on Novant Health's certificate-of-need application to open an ambulatory surgery center in Kernersville. On March 15, Novant Health submitted a request to move two of its operating rooms from Winston-Salem to Kernersville.
Cerner faces overtime lawsuit
With nearly 17,000 employees, Kansas City, Mo.-based Cerner is facing a class action lawsuit due to lack of overtime pay. In the suit, two former Cerner employees claim the company miscalculated overtime pay for potentially thousands of workers. Cerner faced a similar overtime lawsuit in 2007, but the case did not move forward as a class action lawsuit.
Overbilling costs Medicare $40B each year
A new report claims improper payments cost Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services nearly $40 billion annually. Louisiana has the highest overfilling rate (19.4 percent), followed by Texas (17.3 percent) and Alabama (14.3 percent).
Texas hospital OR staff recorded mocking sedated patient
A Houston patient opted to record her hernia surgery after her physician was rude to her when she scheduled the procedure. The patient hid an audio record in her hair, which recorded the surgeon saying the patient was "a handful" and that he feels sorry for her husband.
More healthcare news:
8 key staffing issues for ASCs & how to fix them
North Carolina public hearing set on Kernersville ASC — 4 things to know
Going digital: 2 ASCs that recently installed EHRs