Deadline nears on Alvarado Hospital sale

KPBS | By KPBS Public Broadcasting

Published September 21, 2006 at 7:43 AM PDT

This story was published more than 18 years ago.

East County may lose a vital health care asset. Alvarado Hospital remains on the market after its corporate owner was forced to sell because of federal prosecution. Local officials are getting nervou

The past several years of Alvarado Hospital have been marked by scandal. The Hospital is owned by Dallas-based Tenet Health care. The hospital has been accused of bilking Medicare by inflating so-called outlier costs for providing extra care to very sick people. That case is still under investigation.

The hospital has also been accused of paying kickbacks to physicians, for referring patients to the hospital. That case went to court and resulted in two hung juries. But Tenet Health Care agreed to settle the case by paying 21 million dollars to the U.S. Government, and putting the hospital up for sale.

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Guests

Dr. Ted Mazer, ear, nose and throat specialist at Alvarado Hospital and president of the San Diego County Medical Society.
Nathan Kaufman , San Diego-based health care industry consultant.