West Penn Allegheny Health System overstated payments

A review of West Penn Allegheny Health System finances has found that it overstated payments from vendors and patients by $73 million over the past two years. The move is expected to result in substantial operating losses for the system. President and Chief Executive Officer Christopher Olivia, MD, has sent a system-wide e-mail assuring staff that the reductions "have no direct implications on the System's pension plan" and that WPAHS has "now adopted an industry 'best practice' accounting methodology to help ensure a mistake of this nature does not reoccur."