Federal officials will scrutinize whether Mount Carmel West hospital and Mount Carmel St. Ann's Hospital meet all conditions for Medicare participation.
This follows findings that a now-fired doctor ordered possibly fatal doses of powerful painkillers for dozens of patients. The hospitals say they tightened policies and drug access to address problems in pharmaceutical services that jeopardized their Medicare participation. The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services authorized a review of all conditions, not just in pharmaceutical services. The doctor, William Husel, is asking the state medical board for a hearing before it decides whether to take further action against his suspended license. A board spokesperson says the hearing has yet to be scheduled. His attorneys aren't commenting on the allegations.
