Feds Round Up Mental Health Ring in $200M Fraud
Federal agents arrested four South Florida healthcare operators early Thursday in one of the nation's biggest Medicare fraud cases, charging them with scheming to fleece $200 million from the taxpayer-funded program by billing for bogus mental health services. The indictment was unsealed at the same time as a government whistle-blower lawsuit filed against American Therapeutic, the nation's largest chain of community mental health centers licensed by Medicare, authorities said. The indictment charges American Therapeutic and its senior employees with conspiring to bilk Medicare for group therapy sessions that were either unnecessary or not provided to patients, many suffering from Alzheimer's disease. They were mostly supplied by assisted- living facilities that received kickbacks for the referrals. [Source: Miami Herald]MUST-KNOW FLORIDIAN
Meet Jeffrey Krischer, professor and chief of epidemiology and biostatistics for the USF College of Medicine’s department of pediatrics. He has earned $408 million in NIH grants in two years, mostly to run data centers for big international diabetes trials and the NIH’s Rare Diseases Clinical Research Network (RDCRN). He is one of Florida Trend's Research Stars. |
Daytona 500 Experience Closing; Track Tours to Expand
Daytona International Speedway is closing its Daytona 500 Experience, a interactive attraction at the track, but is expanding its more-popular track tour as part of a company reorganization.
The changes, which take effect Nov. 8, will help trim costs as the parent company, International Speedway Corp., looks to cut $20 million in operating expenses.
The Daytona 500 Experience, which cost more than $18 million to build and opened in 1996, features an IMAX theater, racing memorabilia and several computer simulation games.
Daily admission will end, but the attraction and its 60,000 square feet of space will remain available for private parties, meetings and other events, said Speedway president Joie Chitwood III. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]
Low Sales at Ocala Breeder's Sale Shows Market Woes
After an opening session which saw a huge jump in prices thanks to the complete liquidation of several thoroughbred operations, prices at the final day of the Ocala Breeders' Sales Fall Mixed Sale showed the struggles that continue to plague segments of the industry.
Only eight horses sold for more than $20,000 on Wednesday. The day's sales topper, an 11-year-old Kingmambo mare named Sweet Baby Jane, sold for $35,000.
During Wednesday's open session, 180 head were sold for $863,700. In 2009, 168 horses sold for $877,800. The average also was lower at $4,798 this year, a marked drop from $5,225 in 2009.
"The numbers were very similar to last year. They were off less then 10 percent. But that part of the market is still difficult," said Tom Ventura, OBS' general manager and director of sales.
[Source: Ocala Star-Banner]
Sarasota's Voalte Bags Another Deal
Voalte, which uses the iPhone to help health care workers communicate seamlessly in a hospital, is reaching critical momentum in sales.
The latest contracts mean the two-year-old technology company will likely double or triple its payroll in 2011.
For the moment, Voalte is announcing a trial at Parkview General Hospital in Fort Wayne, Ind. Parent Parkview Health runs eight hospitals and employs 7,000 people, and all eight use the same enterprise-level Wi-Fi system, provided by Meru Networks.
Meru -- which competes directly with telecommunications giant Cisco Systems in Wi-Fi for the health care arena -- is latching onto Voalte as a key partner in this niche market.
[Source: Sarasota Herald-Tribune]
Airport Gets on Board with Rail
Orlando International Airport is ready to start spending money to one day have a rail station for high-speed trains and possibly commuter and light-rail trains as well.
The Greater Orlando Aviation Authority board Wednesday approved $744,000 to expand and detail the airport's rail station proposal enough that the Florida Rail Commission soon can roll it into the state's overall rail plans.
The rail commission hopes to begin identifying possible contractors as early as next month and to have set plans by late next year. If all goes well, high-speed trains could start running between Orlando International Airport and downtown Tampa, with three stops in between, by 2015.
[Source: Orlando Sentinel]
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