Here are seven updates:
Police investigate bomb threat at Shrewsbury Surgery Center
On Sept. 7, police investigated a bomb threat at Shrewsbury (N.J.) Surgery Center. The threat was reported after 2 p.m., and police were still conducting an investigation at 4:20 p.m. During the investigation, Monmouth County Sheriff's Office's K-9 team performed a sweep of the building's interior and exterior. Police also employed a medical ambulance for assistance, according to a sheriff office's spokesperson. Police evacuated the building during the investigation. Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office is currently investigating the incident at the surgery center.
New charges in California cosmetic surgery center $50M healthcare fraud scheme
The executive director of the California-based Morrow Institute was indicted in a superseding indictment which added several new charges of fraud and identity theft to a previous case that billed insurance companies $50 million for procedures that were wrongly classified.
AmSurg's Sheridan acquires Ambulatory Anesthesia Associates & Genesis Anesthesia Services
Sheridan, the physician services division of AmSurg, acquired Ambulatory Anesthesia Associates as well as Genesis Anesthesia Services.
New York-based Southtowns Surgery Center performs first procedures
It didn't take long for the Orchard Park, N.Y.-based Southtowns Surgery Center to have its first patients after opening at the end of July. The center is 18,000 square feet, and is part of the BrookBridge Medical Park. The center has four operating rooms, six pre-op areas, six phase one recovery rooms and eight phase two recovery rooms.
AmSurg-Envision merger closer to final stages as Hart-Scott-Rodino waiting period expires
The waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 has expired for the Envision Healthcare/AmSurg merger. The waiting period is with respect to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission review of the proposed merger between AmSurg and Envision. Waiting for the expiration period to end satisfies one of the conditions of the merger’s closing. The merger is subject to other closing conditions, including shareholder approval from both Envision and AmSurg. There are additional regulatory approvals to come as well.
Aetna and Humana in-house lawyers have restrictions placed on them in antitrust case
Special master Richard Levie, who is overseeing the evidence gathering process in the antitrust case, rejected a request from four in-house lawyers for Aetna and Humana to review confidential information. Mr. Levie — the court-appointed official ensuring judicial orders are executed properly — sided with the Justice Department and ruled "that the risk for inadvertent disclosure outweighed the need for the four in-house lawyers to have access to confidential information."
Healthmark adds 'clean' label to product line
Michigan-based Healthmark Industries recently added a "clean" label to its product line. The label was created to cover the biohazard symbol on SST systems while clean instruments are being moved. The label is bright green with "CLEAN" in white text and is four inches long by four inches wide.
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Police investigate bomb threat at Shrewsbury Surgery Center — 5 key takeaways