The Christ Hospital Settles Whistleblower Suit with Feds

The U.S. Justice Department investigated the allegations for five years before intervening in 2008. Calls to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Cincinnati were not immediately returned.

Whitaker says the government alleges that The Christ Hospital set up a scheme with a physician group known as Ohio Heart & Vascular Center that would give it preferred access at specialized non-invasive testing areas for EKGs, echocardiograms, and other tests based on the volume of their referrals to the hospital.

OHVC was sold to The Christ Hospital in 2008. An attorney for the OHVC group told The Cincinnati Enquirer that the physicians would not be required to share the cost of the settlement.

Adkins maintains that the hospital was providing "necessary and often life-saving medical care by ensuring sufficient cardiologists coverage to read heart tests provided in the hospital."

"There was no challenge in this case to the medical necessity or quality of patient care. Nor did the government suffer any loss as it did not expend any money for the services beyond standard Medicare payments," Adkins says.

By paying a portion of the settlement, Adkins says, "The Christ Hospital can move forward without years of ongoing litigation and the risk of a crippling judgment. We will proceed with our plans to improve and grow services provided for this community with the region's most respected hospital, staff, and physicians."