Roland Chalifoux, DO, is suing New Martinsville, W.Va.-based Wetzel County Hospital, West Virginia United Health System in Morgantown and multiple physicians for suspension of staff privileges, WTRF reported March 2.
Donald Blum, MD; Niraj Mohan, MD; Matthew Sokos, MD; Hany Tadros, MD; Sean Smith, president of Wetzel County Hospital; and Jessica Huffman, RN, are also named in the suit, according to court documents obtained by the news outlet.
Dr. Chalifoux previously owned Valley Pain Management in McMechen, W.Va., and was accused of billing Medicaid and other insurers for visits when he was not in the office. Dr. Chalifoux was indicted on 32 counts of healthcare fraud, wire fraud and mail fraud, but federal prosecutors dropped the charges against him.
His lawsuit states that Wetzel County Hospital suspended his privileges in June 2022 after an incident the same month but allowed him to perform three more procedures before being suspended. He appealed his suspension to the hospital's medical executive committee, which upheld it. He also sought an injunction in Wetzel County Circuit Court that he did not receive, according to the news outlet.
The West Virginia Board of Medicine dismissed the complaint filed by WCH and WVU against Dr. Chalifoux in February 2023.
Dr. Chalifoux also said in the lawsuit that the hospital and health system effectively barred him from the pain management market, that his reputation has been damaged and that it is impossible for him to obtain staff privileges at other hospitals, according to WTRF.
He is seeking compensatory damages, punitive damages, attorney fees and court costs.