FIELD NOTES
H E A LT H C A R E
Cracking Down on Fraudsters North Texas is on the leading edge of identifying and prosecuting healthcare fraud. story by WILL MADDOX
T
the red flags at forest park medical Center came early and often. Doctors at the Dallas hospital observed questionable practices, and partners noted vast sums of money being allocated for “marketing.” A 2016 lawsuit became a harbinger of trouble for the now-infamous Dallas operation. Dr. Lisa Umholtz, an early investor in the company, alleged that she was expelled for not sending enough patients to the hospital. Ultimately, Forest Park was revealed as being the core of a $200 million kickback scheme that, by the spring of 2021, sent 14 defendants to jail. North Texas has emerged as a hotbed for
060
OCTOBER 2021
FN_Healthcare_1021.indd 60
DCEOMAGAZINE.COM
9/7/21 11:10 AM
