Former hospital workers charged in Florida

Three former employees of Miami-based Kendall Regional Medical Center have been charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with an alleged $7 million kickback scheme involving the hospital and a medical supply company now in bankruptcy. Prosecutors allege that the workers helped place phony orders from January 2001 to June 2007 for medical supplies that were never delivered. The HCA hospital chain, owner of Kendall Regional, paid $5.4 million to the medical supply company for the nonexistent supplies and $1.5 million to Allied Medical Products.