Thread: NC-Health workers’ fate still pending

Health workers’ fate still pending

August 19, 2008 - 11:54PM
Despite the fact that Medical Director Dr. Kathleen Shapley-Quinn and Nurse Practitioner Karen Saxer won't face charges for their roles in the writing of alias work notes for Hispanic clients at the Alamance County Health Department, the two remain on paid administrative leave and their employment status is in limbo, at least for several more weeks.

On Tuesday, Health Department Director Barry Bass said he will decide by Sept. 8 whether to reinstate Shapley-Quinn and Saxer.

Bass' revelation to the county board of health came only after board member Charlie Wilson pressed him for information, and after a good bit of legal wrangling between Chairman Keith Whited, Wilson and other board members over whether to discuss the personnel issue behind closed doors or as part of its public meeting.

The board ultimately voted down Wilson's motion to hold the discussion.

Dennis Harrington, the assistant director of the state Division of Public Health, attended Tuesday's meeting. Harrington said the health department must provide services regardless of residency status.

Controversy over the issue has been swirling since June, when the board voted to strengthen its oversight of the department and require staffers to release all patient names on the work excuse notes.

Two months ago, County Manager David Smith suspended Saxer and Shapley-Quinn with pay pending the completion of an SBI investigation into possible fraud arising from the notes. The suspensions came after health board Chairman Keith Whited brought forward concerns about the practice.

Whited said staffers should end the practice of filing false names apart from patient medical files. Including such names in excuse notes could result in clients committing identity theft, he said.

Board member and county Commissioner Bill Lashley shared those worries and asked Smith to call in the State Bureau of Investigation. At Smith's request, Sheriff Terry Johnson got the Bureau to investigate.

BURNS SAID THAT over the past three months, the total visits to the department's family planning and maternity clinics had increased.
The department has "downsized a little bit" with services since the suspension but has "managed to keep things running."

Initial family planning visits have gone from waits of two or three day to about 4 to 6 weeks. "But that's expected when you have staff that you are unable to use."

Plans will go into place to "stack that clinic and be able see more patients" to make up the backlog, once the department is back at full staff, Burns added.

Dr. Isa Cheren works part time at the health department and has filled in during the suspensions. "We cut other clinics at the expense of keeping maternity (services)," Cheren said.

Cheren said the health department had a "big backlog" of patients that staffers were able to "work down" efficiently because of "open access" when she first started working there.

Now, she said, the department is, "in many ways, creating huge barriers" to access especially when it comes to "young people."
While the department is "kind of holding our own," it is "deficient, at minimum, for the quality of care that we can normally provide."

BURNS ASKED BOARD members to review a draft policy covering the use of alias names in work excuse notes. Among other things, the draft recommends a client that requests the use of an alias fill out a "Personal Data Continuation Sheet" that will allow the use of one alias name. The alternate name also is listed on the patient registration screen and included on the "outside of the medical record" and any other forms in the record.

The board agreed by consensus to review the draft before voting on it.

Having a policy on work notes will help, Bass said. "We're going to heal some wounds ... We're going to have a really good dialogue among ourselves and staff about where we are and how we want to move forward, and commit to each other that we will agree to disagree in a very professional way."

Lashley said despite the conclusions of investigators and prosecutors, he thinks the county is spending local money for Medicaid services that should be paid for with federal Medicaid dollars. "Something is going on. That is just not logical to be spending more money than Orange County and Guilford County on that process."

An SBI agent told him, Lashley said, that confiscated health department e-mails between doctors and nurses referred to the spending of local funds on Medicaid. "They can cover it up if they want to, but that is illegal if these people that work for the health department is doing that."

The board "needs to be aware that there's more to this than what you all are saying," Lashley added.

"Well, who has the information?" Wilson asked.

"Well, it's been covered up," Lashley responded.

Whited and others asked Lashley to bring forward the information; the commissioner promised to get to the bottom of it.

Bass said, as far as he knew his employees "are operating in a lawful manner."

The agency and the board has been damaged, and certainly Dr. Shapley-Quinn has been through hell ... It should been an administrative matter."

http://www.thetimesnews.com/news/depart ... ealth.html

What a mess

Since when do doctor's let you use different name on doctor's note and another to file insurance.

So let's see how this works: at work I'm using dead person Social Security Number - so I use that name and need a doctor's note with Social Security Number Name for missing work with my visit to free medicaid.

But the Medicaid is under a different name which is on my child's birth certificate recorded with the state and Medicaid for use in this doctor's office.

How many of these illegal criminal aliens do we have in the state and nation?

This is FRAUD, plain and simple.
If the patient uses a different name to apply for Medicaid, they will not claim wages earned under the working name. If the patient HAD to claim wages earned, she might not be ELIGIBLE for Medicaid benefits.

Perhaps it is time for legal citizens to start gaming the system for free services, like the illegals do. If they can get away with this, woundn't it be discrimination to sue American's for doing the same thing?
Instead of paying hundreds of dollars per month for insurance that does not cover all medical costs, I just seek treatment under a false name and made up SS number. I will apply for Medicaid, food stamps, housing, and anything else I can get using the false ID.
Hey, it works for the "undocumented".

EXACTLY

CORPORATE AMERICA DOES NOT LOVE OUR COUNTRY (EMPLOYERS),

ILLEGAL CRIMINAL ALIENS ARE DESTROYING IT;

AND WE PAY AND PAY SOME MORE FOR BOTH ABOVE

CHUCK BALDWIN FOR PRESIDENT:
http://tinyurl.com/5qgxat

Population-
http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-128739-.html

Those Who Doubt the NWO Conspiracy...Listen Closely
http://tinyurl.com/6nao7g

NON-ENERGY CRISIS:
http://tinyurl.com/5flubk

New World Order by Eustace Mullins:
http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-125703-.html

ENDGAME- ALEX JONES -
Blueprint for Global Enslavement
http://tinyurl.com/2gmljp

CHRISTIAN PERSECUTION:
http://tinyurl.com/6k2253

BURNS ASKED BOARD members to review a draft policy covering the use of alias names in work excuse notes. Among other things, the draft recommends a client that requests the use of an alias fill out a "Personal Data Continuation Sheet" that will allow the use of one alias name. The alternate name also is listed on the patient registration screen and included on the "outside of the medical record" and any other forms in the record.



HUH?

I could care less how these people draft it, implement it, or anything else......they are aiding and abetting in criminal activity by allowing anyone to use an alias and through providing of items to these patients containing those aliases.

This is just insane. There is some dirty dealings going on within the health dept. of Alamance County and this investigation needs to be reopened, ot just at the state level, but at the federal level as well.

Much of the free medical care provided to illegal aliens in this country is for prenatal care, labor and delivery charges at the hospital and then lifelong free services to their anchor kids.

Originally Posted by vmonkey56

What a mess

Since when do doctor's let you use different name on doctor's note and another to file insurance.

So let's see how this works: at work I'm using dead person Social Security Number - so I use that name and need a doctor's note with Social Security Number Name for missing work with my visit to free medicaid.

But the Medicaid is under a different name which is on my child's birth certificate recorded with the state and Medicaid for use in this doctor's office.

How many of these illegal criminal aliens do we have in the state and nation?

According to my calculations and counting their offspring around 60 million.

There appears to be widespread fraud in the Medicaid program. You MUST meet certain income requirements to qualify for coverage. This clinic, like all medical facilities, allows illegal immigrants to LIE on the application for benefits, at the same time they are LYING to employers about Social Security numbers.
Who do we contact about this policy? If a Medicaid applicant is using an alias and fake ID to work, the wages, BY LAW have to be reported to Medicaid as income. The medical facility is aiding this fraud by letting the patient use one name for benefits, and another for employee notes.

Why is there NO INVESTIGATION of this fraud? No wonder the illegals fight so hard to stay here. They have it better than US citizens because they are ENCOURAGED to violate the law, while citizens are prosecuted for doing the same things.