GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.,
July 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/
-- Bracker & Marcus LLC announced today a $117 million False Claims Act settlement with
Universal Health Services, Inc., resolving eighteen lawsuits filed
against the hospital system, including by its client Heidi Parent-Leonard. Psychiatrist Jahandar
Saifollahi, M.D., and Behavioral Health Care, P.C., separately
settled claims for an additional $85,000.
Coming Together to Protect Fragile Citizens
When social worker Heidi
Parent-Leonard began working as a case manager at Forest
View Psychiatric Hospital in Grand
Rapids, she was stunned by the inadequacy of the services
being provided. "[Primary psychiatrist] Dr. Saifollahi would line
patients up in the hallway and spend five minutes talking to each,
one after another," said Parent-Leonard. "Nobody was getting the
help they needed."
These brief meetings, Parent-Leonard alleged, were billed to
Medicare and Medicaid as costly therapy sessions. Parent-Leonard
also alleged that the hospital admitted ineligible patients and
under-medicated patients to lengthen their stays.
After reporting her concerns to CMS, Parent-Leonard retained
Bracker & Marcus LLC to file one of the eighteen qui tam
lawsuits that would ultimately be brought against UHS.
"I'm both proud and grateful that the situation has been
resolved in a way that acknowledges patients' dignity and rights as
the primary focus of ethical treatment and practice," said
Parent-Leonard. "My hope is that the hospital and its parent
company will learn from these lawsuits and foster a culture of
quality, respect, and honest dealings with their patients."
"This settlement is a demonstration of the combined might that
private citizens have as whistleblowers," said Parent-Leonard's
attorney, Jason Marcus. "Had just
one or two employees reported their concerns, this misconduct would
likely have continued at the other facilities. Because
eighteen whistleblowers came forward, the Department of
Justice secured a comprehensive settlement that will improve
psychiatric care for thousands of patients nationwide."
The case is captioned United
States ex rel. Parent-Leonard v. Forest View Psychiatric
Hospital, et al., 1:18-cv-1426 (W.D. Mich.).
False Claims Act lawyers Julie
Bracker and Jason Marcus have
a combined 26 years of experience representing whistleblowers
nationwide. Since 2015, they have recovered more than $220 million for United
States taxpayers. For more information about filing a False
Claims Act case, visit www.FCAcounsel.com or call (770)
988-5035.
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SOURCE Bracker & Marcus LLC