Allegiance Health Reaches Agreement on Allegations by Department of Justice

JACKSON, Mich., July 10, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Allegiance Health ("Allegiance"), a leading community-owned health system with more than 3,800 employees, announced today that it has entered into an agreement with the Department of Justice regarding allegations of billing for unnecessary cardiac procedures performed by one of its cardiologists. While the health system disagrees with the allegations made by the government and admits no wrongdoing, it reached an agreement in order to devote resources to providing excellent healthcare for the community rather than litigation.

Allegiance has taken a number of actions to ensure the quality and safety of its cardiology services. The hospital has significantly enhanced documentation requirements to ensure that there is a clear record to substantiate all cardiology procedures performed and has instituted additional processes to ensure the appropriateness of the care provided. Within its cardiovascular program, Allegiance and its medical staff have made important changes to further ensure that the services provided meet and exceed national standards for best practice care. 

"Nothing is more important to us than providing the safest, highest quality care for our patients. We're proud of the contributions we're making in the community, and it is important to all of us at Allegiance that the community feels confident about the quality and safety of the care we offer," said Georgia Fojtasek, President and CEO.

"We value the trust our patients and their families place in us, and we are committed to maintaining that trust. Our excellent outcomes tell our story, and we believe this experience will ultimately make us an even stronger organization."

Allegiance has provided, and continues to provide, the very highest levels of care, and is consistently identified as a national leader in quality and safety by leading independent organizations, including being named one of America's 100 Best Hospitals in 2013 by Healthgrades.

Allegiance has established a toll free phone number (1-888-807-7633) staffed by Allegiance nurses Monday-Friday from 8:00am-7:00pm and Saturday from 9:00am-2:00pm and has also dedicated a portion of its website, AllegianceHealth.org/agreement, to respond to questions from the community.

About Allegiance Health:
Allegiance Health is a 480-bed community-owned health system in Jackson, Michigan. With more than 3,800 employees, Allegiance complements traditional acute care services with mission-based services to support the care continuum for all members of the community. Through its Health Improvement Organization (HIO), Allegiance is also a national leader in forming community partnerships that innovatively address wellness and prevention needs in the community. Allegiance Health is consistently acknowledged as a leader in patient care, most recently named among America's 100 Best Hospitals in 2013 by Healthgrades. As a recipient of the Healthgrades 2013 Patient Safety Excellence Award, Allegiance places within the top 5 percent of all hospitals for its excellent performance in safeguarding patients from serious, potentially preventable complications during their hospital stay. As a recipient of the CareChex 2013 Patient Safety Award, Allegiance ranks in the top 10% in the nation for patient safety related to heart attack and heart failure treatment.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Jeff Kapuscinski
Director, Communications and Public Relations
(517) 841-7438
[email protected]

SOURCE Allegiance Health