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16 mars, 2007 15:54 |
Documents describe medical center as ?pill mill?
Saturday, Mar 17, 2007 - 12:00 AM
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One day after the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation paid a surprise visit to the Appalachian Medical Center in Johnson City, documents obtained by News Channel 11 reveal details of the investigation and the reasons behind the seizure of patient records.
Documents obtained by News Channel 11 reveal a clinic under investigation by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation was described in sworn statements as "more indicative of a "pill mill" operation than that of a professional medical practice".
The Appalachian Medical Center in the Peerless Centre on North Roan Street in Johnson City is at the center of a fraud and overdose probe, according to the TBI. The Washington County District Attorney told News Channel 11’s Amber Miller Thursday the investigation was big and a review of the documents filed in court Friday reveal the exact scope of the allegations. The search warrant used by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation states that at least 47 people under the care of Appalachian Medical Center, which the document lists as owned and operated by nurse practitioner Bobby D. Reynolds, have died within the past two years and that to date, ten have been confirmed prescription drug overdoses. Additionally, the affidavit says that 50% of the deaths were individuals under the age of 50, 87% were under the age of 60.
The TBI seized patient and billing records from the clinic as part of an ongoing investigation into the distribution or dispensing of controlled substances, Medicaid fraud and TennCare fraud. In the search warrant, TBI Special Agent Barry Carrier says there is "probable cause for believing that the Laws of the State of Tennessee have been and are being violated by Bobby D. Reynolds II D/B/A Appalachian Medical Center" and lists Reynolds as the owner and operator of the clinic. Investigator Carrier alleges in his sworn affidavit that "…the business is operated at least in part as a "pill mill", meaning that prescriptions for controlled substances are distributed to individuals who do not meet the medical criteria necessitating the prescriptions. Those prescriptions are then filled at a pharmacy resulting in the unlawful distribution of controlled substances."
News Channel 11 was on hand Thursday morning as the TBI carried boxes of patient records from the offices of the Appalachian Medical Center and loaded them into an RV. Patients with scheduled appointments were greeted with a handwritten sign posted on the practice’s front door advising them the clinic was closed for the day.
Judy Smith, a grandmother News Channel 11 spoke with several weeks ago, revealed Friday the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has told her to be prepared to testify in this case. Smith shared with reporter Amber Miller in February pages of documentation of her conversations with Tennessee Department of Children’s Services workers about suspicions family nurse practitioner Bobby Reynolds of Appalachian Medical Center was over-prescribing her son’s pregnant girlfriend, Amanda White. White’s son was born premature and addicted to drugs. The search warrant says someone, identified only as "A.W." received medications while she was pregnant and a patient of Reynolds and subsequently overdosed on medications. Smith insists the "A.W." is indeed the mother of her grandchild.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is asking anyone with information or suspicions about patients under the care of the Appalachian Medical Center who were over-prescribed or overdosed to call them at 423-434-6424.
