Excela Admits More Mistakes

On Saturday April 23, 2011, Excela Health, owner of Westmoreland Regional Hospital in Greensburg, Pennsylvania admitted to more mistakes in the stent controversy.  According to the Pittsburgh Tribune Review, Excela acknowledged that at least six of the 141 patients whom Excela previously notified as having been the recipients of medically unnecessary stents did not get stents at all. 

Jerome Granato, M.D., a cardiologist and chief medical officer at Excela informed the Trib that at least six of the unneeded stent patients did not get the stents that they did not need.  This is not to say, however, that these patients were treated appropriately. Dr Granato suggested as much when he stated, "They had a procedure on a minimally diseased vessel..."

Therefore, as the matter presently stands, the scorecard at Excela reads as follows:

-At least 135 patients receiving unnecessary stents in 2010;

-At least 6 patients receiving unnecessary non-stent heart procedures in 2010;

-Excela acknowledging that in May it will inform the unlucky recipients of the unneeded stents implanted in 2009.

Interventional cardiologists recommend stenting when artery blockage exceeds 70%.  According to Excela, all patients who received unneeded stents in 2010 had blockages of less than 50%.  Hospital officials have purportedly notified the Office of the Inspector General at the Department of Health and Human Services.

Multiple lawsuits have been filed by unneeded stent recipients.  It is unclear whether any suits have been filed by patients who received unnecessary non-stent procedures.  

All of the procedures were performed by either Drs. Morcos or Bousramos, interventional cardiologists who formerly had staff privileges at Westmoreland Hospital. Combined, these two physicians performed at total of 753 stent procedures in 2010. These doctors resigned from Westmoreland hospital On January 12, 2011, after having been notified of the results of an investigation conducted by outside contractors into the necessity of many of their stent procedures. Morcos and Bousramos were quickly granted temporary privileges at Forbes Regional Hospital.  It is unclear how many stent procedures were performed by these doctors at Forbes or even whether Forbes plans to look into it.