"Excela Admits More Wrongdoing "

In the June 22, 2011 edition of the Pittsburgh Tribune Review, Excela admitted to more wrongdoing in the stent controversy that has rocked Westmoreland Hospital in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. In a statement issued by Excela CEO Robert Rogalski, Excela, owner of Westmoreland Hospital, admitted that it recently confirmed the identity of 51 patients who received unnecessary coronary stents in 2009 at the hospital. This, when added to the total of 141 patients identified by Excela for the year 2010, brings the total to over 190 patients who received unnecessary coronary stents at Westmoreland Hospital in 2009 and 2010.

As with the patients who received unneeded stents in 2010, the doctors who were involved in the 2009 stent malfeasance were (not surprisingly), Ehab Morcos and George Bou Samra, interventional cardiologists with, at the time, staff privileges at Westmoreland Hospital. Excela has indicated that it will not review 2008 charts.
Stents are tiny expandable mesh tubes inserted into clogged arteries to keep them open. When a patient exhibits certain symptoms suggestive of acute coronary artery disease, a catherization, including a diagnostic test known as an angiogram, is performed. The angiogram helps to determine the existence and precise location of a clog. Generally, any artery that is more than 70% clogged is stented. If an artery is less than 70% clogged a stent is not necessary as the less severe blockage can be addressed with medication. As with any procedure, stents carry a risk of harm and side effects, including the potential for blood clots. This is why doctors do not insert stents unless medically necessary.

The one million dollar question is...WHY? Why did these doctors do it? Why did they expose their patients to unneeded medical risks? Why did Excela not acknowledge it until two or more years after it started? What did the doctors have to gain? What did Excela and Westmoreland Hospital have to gain? When did Excela first learn of it? Was Excela in on it? In the June 22, 2011 article, Excela indicated that it went public with these findings because "we think it is the right thing to do" Really? If it was the right thing to do in March 2011, why wasn't it the right thing to do a year or so earlier? What does "right thing to do" mean? Is it the right thing to do because Excela is trying to prevent a federal investigation? Is it the right thing to do because other doctors who were not in on it threatened to go public or to report Excela to the accreditation agencies?

I am an attorney who represents people who have received unnecessary stents. If you are the recipient of an unnecessary stent please contact me. I am paid exclusively on a contingent fee. There is no charge, ever

Unneeded Stent Update

On March 4, 2011 the Pittsburgh Tribune Review published a story confirming that 141 patients may have received unneeded cardiac stents at its cardiac care lab in 2010.  These stents were placed by Drs Ehab Morcos and George Bousamra, interventional cardiologists with staff privileges at Exhela Health Westmoreland.

Multiple lawsuits on behalf of many of these unfortunate patients have ensued.

Robert Rogalski, CEO of Excela, Westmoreland's Greensburg based parent, issued a public apology.  In so doing, Mr Rogalski, informed Tribune Review staff reporters that an internal investigation into whether any unnecessary stents were placed at Westmoreland Hospital in 2009 was ongoing.  Specifically, The Trib reported that hospital officials indicated that results of the review of their 2009 cases are expected in May.  Well, May has come and gone and yet no results have been divulged. Perhaps  Excela/Westmoreland meant May 2012 !

Coronary stents are appropriate when the percentage of arterial blockage exceeds 70%.  If a particular coronary artery is not at least close to 70% occluded then a stent should not be inserted.  It will not offer any

benefit and carries with it an unnecessary risk of complications such as the risk of blood clots. The fact that this occurred leads to numerous additional questions.

Who knew that this was happening and when did they know?   How much money did the doctors make on the placement of the unneeded stents?    Did the hospital receive a benefit from these unnecessary procedures?  If so, what was the benefit?   Was anyone at Excela supervising these doctors?  How long has this been going on?   Has anyone died unnecessarily?   Did management at Excela ever compare the number of procedures that Drs Morcos and Bousamra  were doing to the number performed by other cardiologists and radiologists at Westmoreland?  Did management compare the number of procedures performed by these doctors against the industry average?  Is medeicaid or medicare money involved?

Has the federal government initiated an investigation?

In order to determine the percentage of blockage an angiogram must be performed.  How do the doctors or the hospital defend the decision to insert stents in situations where an angiogram clearly shows blockage significantly below 70 percent?  Did the doctors misrepresent the percentage of blockage in the medical records?  Were other staff members in on it?

If you believe that you or a family member may have been the recipient of an unneeded stent or that you are the victim of medical malpractice please contact my law office today.