Update: Did Nabil El Sanadi Trigger New Extensive State Probe Of Broward Health?
BY BUDDY NEVINS
The state launched a wide ranging probe of every contract Broward Health has signed since 2012 last week leading some to ask: Was the investigation triggered by the late hospital district CEO Nabil El Sanadi?
Is the investigation El Sanadi speaking from the grave?
Nabil El Sanadi: Did he uncover wrongdoing at Broward Health and complain to state?
Since El-Sanadi’s mysterious suicide last month, the corridors of Broward Health’s hospitals have become swirling caldron of rumors concerning a burgeoning FBI investigation and now the new potentially-vast state probe.
Numerous sources have told Browardbeat.com that the FBI is probing alleged Medicare and Medicaid fraud. One source intimately familiar with Broward Health said that at least one computer and many documents have been seized by federal agents.
There is a theory that the FBI tipped the state agency, which El-Sanadi found out about just before his death.
No reason has been found for the suicide.
Florida Chief Inspector General Melinda M. Miguel announced on Friday, as El Sanadi’s memorial service was taking place, that “I have received Governor Scott’s full support to conduct a thorough review of every contract North Broward Hospital District/Broward Health has entered into since July 1, 2012 and all correspondence, in any form, related to these contracts….The purpose of the review is to determine any possible improprieties or inappropriate actions including any violation of law, rule, regulation, charter, bylaws or procedures associated with these contracts.”
The investigation was revealed today by Floridabulldog.org linked below.
Why the July 1, 2012 date? Maybe because the entire governing Broward Health Board of Commissioners was appointed by Gov. Rick Scott after that date except Commissioner Joel Gustafson, who was appointed previously.
Here is something to consider:
No doubt the Florida Inspector General’s Office gets bombarded with reams of e-mails and letters and documents daily contending alleged wrongdoing throughout this state.
Who has the authority to make a complaint about that would prompt the Inspector General to investigate 3 ½ years of Broward Health’s business?
If this investigation is serious and not just a whitewash, such a probe is a huge, huge undertaking! It would never be launched based on the word of a gadfly or, in Scott’s highly-partisan administration, a Democrat.
Any complaint from El Sanadi — he was well-known in Tallahassee as a staunch Republican, former state Board of Medicine physician and Broward Health’s CEO — would get the attention of Tallahassee.
As word of the letter circulated through Broward Health on Monday, two sources told Browardbeat.com they believed that complaining to the Inspector General may have been El Sanadi’s last significant act before commiting suicide. Another source credits the FBI with getting the state involved.
The FBI refused comment to FloridaBulldog.org. The Inspector General isn’t talking.
Running Broward Health for just 13 months, El Sanadi was in a position to have uncovered any manner of wrongdoing. Broward Health and its governing board of gubernatorial appointees have been criticized for decades for multi-million dollar inside dealing and handing out contracts based on a political litmus test rather than on qualifications.
Broward Health paid $70 million last year – plus another $10 million for legal fees – to settle allegations that the agency and physicians had conspired to cheat Medicare and Medicaid.
Here is the today’s Florida Bulldog piece.
February 2nd, 2016 at 7:46 am
Tom Hagen: When a plot against the Emperor failed… the plotters were always given a chance… to let their families keep their fortunes. Right?
Frank Pentangeli: Yeah, but only the rich guys, Tom. The little guys got knocked off and all their estates went to the Emperors. Unless they went home and killed themselves, then nothing happened. And the families… the families were taken care of.
Tom Hagen: That was a good break. A nice deal.
Frank Pentangeli: Yeah… They went home… and sat in a hot bath… opened up their veins… and bled to death… and sometimes they had a little party before they did it.
February 2nd, 2016 at 9:25 am
word on the street is that NES’ handpicked consigliere might be in over her red head. morale was eroding long before NES passing and is now accelerating under the stress of a back bench hack serving as the de facto head of the BH syndicate.
February 2nd, 2016 at 9:55 am
Whether its Republican Governor’s Hospital Board or Democratic County Commission appointed Charter Review Board why are politics campaign contributions always controlling things in Broward County? In Miami-Dade I have Democrats appointed by Republican Governors n Republicans appointec by Democratic Commissioners but here it is politics 24 7 and the quality if appointees is very very low
February 2nd, 2016 at 10:14 am
Broward Health is run as a special taxing districts. These districts have political appointees running important functions. The problem is that these districts hand out million dollar contracts while being largely invisible to the public. There have been a number of legislative proposals to impose some transparency to these these groups that never went anywhere because the taxing districts are unwilling to end the gravy train. It should be dealt with locally & perhaps Broward Health should be sold to a private entity who will run it without the ability to tax the public.
February 2nd, 2016 at 10:46 am
El sanadi didnt uncover wrongdoing, he was part of it. You will see soon enough that he had many conficts and was handing out contracts to old friends. He was tipped off to this and got out the only way he could.
February 2nd, 2016 at 11:50 am
Well, we know that the Governor knows all about Medicare/Medicaid fraud.
February 2nd, 2016 at 12:01 pm
Are we seriously questioning the ability of the Board whose Chair and at least one other member are under the age of 35? That these millennials may not have the maturity, understanding and life experience to guide an enterprise with a budget in the hundreds of millions of dollars?
February 2nd, 2016 at 12:56 pm
How does one shoot themselves twice in the chest?
February 2nd, 2016 at 5:00 pm
Finally, the bs about Dan Lewis “altruistic” attacks on Broward Health are exposed for the bs they are…
http://redbroward.com/2016/02/02/ccp/
February 2nd, 2016 at 5:46 pm
Was this man really shot twice in the chest? This is the first time I have heard this. I hope that BSO is doing some serious investigating if this comment is true.
FROM BUDDY:
This is how the Sun-Sentinel’s David Fleshler wrote about El-Sanadi’s suicide days after the event:
“One year later, El Sanadi, 60, would be dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest.”
A self-inflicted gunshot wound. One, not two. Apparently that is what the Sun-Sentinel was told.
February 3rd, 2016 at 12:03 am
Perhaps his SWAT training helped him shoot himself twice in the toilet of his apartment lobby…
FROM BUDDY:
See my comment above.
February 3rd, 2016 at 1:37 pm
Broward Health is like a giant toilet; flush it, and tax payer monies go into the hands of the politicians and their crony friends instead of to caring for the residents within the community. Legacy of BH. My question to all you other cerebral bloggers: If a governor seats a king and all of the king’s men, and if a governor also seats the king’s court, will the the king’s court really probe to uncover probable fraudulent contracts among friends, or could it be smoke and mirrors with real intent to vacuum up any breadcrumb trail?