Houston's Baylor St. Luke's Faces $15M Settlement Over Three Surgeons' Heart Surgery Practices

Jun 25, 2024, 12:47 AM

A federal investigation into Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center in Houston revealed that three heart surgeons, Drs. Joseph Coselli, Joseph Lamelas, and David Ott, regularly operated two operating rooms at once, delegating key aspects of risky heart surgeries to unqualified medical residents. This practice led to a whistleblower complaint and a subsequent $15 million settlement involving concurrent billing claims for critical surgeries. The Department of Justice announced the record settlement, which highlights significant concerns about patient safety and medical ethics at the institution.