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$15M Record Settlement Over Heart Surgeries at Baylor St. Luke's, Texas Medical Institutions

Jun 25, 2024, 10:14 PM

Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center in Houston and two other Texas medical institutions have agreed to pay a $15 million settlement following a federal investigation into their surgical practices. The investigation was prompted by a whistleblower's complaint alleging that three heart surgeons at Baylor St. Luke's frequently left operating rooms during complex heart surgeries, leaving critical parts of the procedures to be performed by unqualified medical residents. The complaint also claimed that the surgeons were running two operating rooms simultaneously, violating Medicare regulations and involving concurrent billing claims for critical surgeries. The Justice Department announced that the settlement is a record amount for such cases. Despite the allegations, one of the surgeons continues to treat patients in a leadership role at Baylor St. Luke's.