Trio convicted in big kickback scheme
Larry Howard, owner of
in Oviedo; Dr. Nicole Bramwell of Apopka; and Raymond Stone of Orlando were convicted for their role in a kickback scheme that involved pain and scar creams, totaling $4.3 million in false and fraudulent claims to TRICARE between October 2014 and May 2015, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Howard paid kickbacks to Stone to refer patients to doctors, including Bramwell. The doctors in turn prescribed expensive pain and scar creams, which Howard filled and billed to TRICARE, according to the agency, Some of the creams cost as much as $17,000 per bottle, the agency said in a news release.
Meanwhile, five Central Florida hospitals were hit with because of their high rates of patient injuries, including hospital-acquired infections from various procedures and in-hospital injuries such as sepsis, hip fractures and bed sores.
They include HCA’s Central Florida Regional Hospital in Sanford and Osceola Regional Medical Center in Kissimmee; Orlando Health’s Health Central in Ocoee and South Lake Hospital in Clermont; and Leesburg Regional Medical Center. None of them were penalized last year.
They were among 751 hospitals nationwide to get the penalty and will lose 1 percent of their Medicare payments in 2018.
The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center of Central Florida has changed its name to
and unveiled a new logo.
The Center, which provides programs and services including STD testing, also announced its 2018 Board of Directors. Jeff Buak will continue as president; Joanne Grant, vice president; Timothy Vargas, treasurer; Roxy Santiago, secretary. Barefoot Wine & Bubbly. Continuing directors include Pat Michaels, Willie Williams, Lolita Jerido and Sarah Elbadri. Newly elected board member is James Drew.
The Center is turning 40 this year.
opened its 17th practice in downtown Orlando on S. Orange Ave. in January. Nemours has been providing specialty care at that location since 2012. Dr. Michelle Tellado will lead the team. Nemours has 19 specialty care satellite locations.
a national chain of office-based opioid treatment centers, has opened a new facility in Orlando on North Alafaya Trail. It’s the company’s fourth location in Florida, and its 33rd across the country.
,anational provider of end-of-life care, has opened hospice and palliative care offices in Lake and Sumter counties. Jillian Madsen will be the general manager.
,a division of DaVita, donated $95,000 to 30 Florida nonprofits, including The Sharing Center, CHS Early Head Start and No Limits Academy, as part of their annual “DaVita Way of Giving.”
was appointed as health-care consumer representative, and as health-care purchaser representative at Health Council of East Central Florida. Their terms end on Sept. 30, 2019.