HEALTH OFFICIALS RELIEVED OF DUTY AS COUNTY TRACKS DISCOUNTED DRUGS.Byline: Troy Anderson Staff Writer Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. County supervisors widened their probe Tuesday into whether $900,000 in federally discounted drugs were used illegally at private health clinics. Department of Health Services Department of Health Services may refer to:
prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. a memorandum obtained by the Daily News. Mark Finucane, health department director, said in the memo to supervisors that the county may face federal fines. ``It also should be noted that other disciplinary action may be taken upon employees involved in this matter,'' he said. Thomas said he is innocent. ``Small bits of the truth have been forced together to make me seem responsible for things I did not or could not do,'' he said. Aiso also denies any wrongdoing wrong·do·er n. One who does wrong, especially morally or ethically. wrong do , according to an attorney working
with both officials.
On Tuesday, supervisors met privately to discuss the investigation and vowed to ferret out those responsible, said health department spokesman John Wallace John Wallace may refer to:
Supervisors were not available for comment after the meeting, but earlier they voiced concern over the allegations. ``The health department must take immediate action to ensure this flagrant fla·grant adj. 1. Conspicuously bad, offensive, or reprehensible: a flagrant miscarriage of justice; flagrant cases of wrongdoing at the highest levels of government. See Usage Note at blatant. 2. violation of public trust is not repeated,'' said Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich Michael Dennis Antonovich (born 1939 in Los Angeles, California) is a member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors representing the Fifth District, which covers northern Los Angeles County, the Antelope, Santa Clarita, Pasadena, and parts of the San Fernando and San . The investigation comes a month after the federal government approved a $1.2 billion bailout of the county's health care system, agreeing to pay for the health care of low-income residents at clinics, including the one targeted in the investigation. However, the private clinics in the county network are not eligible for federally discounted medications, officials said. ``It is totally unacceptable that the health department would allow an outstanding bill for $900,000 at a time when we were negotiating the waiver and every dollar we looked at was committed to providing health services health services Managed care The benefits covered under a health contract ,'' said Antonovich's health deputy, Kathryn Barger. The County Counsel's Office and the health department are investigating allegations that an informal arrangement with the Metro South Provider Network to provide discounted drugs to five clinics in Los Angeles and Long Beach. The supervisors did not know of the agreement, and there is no evidence anyone profited from the deal. ``I feel very strongly about the unorthodox, if not illegal, practices which surfaced in these particular deals,'' Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky Zev Yaroslavsky (born December 21, 1948) is a Los Angeles County politician. He served on the Los Angeles City Council from 1975 until 1994, when he was elected to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. He was preceded in both offices by Edmund D. Edelman. said. ``We need to get to the bottom of this, find out if any laws were broken, who is responsible and those who are need to pay the price for what happened here.'' Los Angeles attorney Godfrey Isaac said Thomas and Aiso are wrongly accused. ``I'm satisfied that neither Dr. Thomas or Dr. Aiso have done anything wrong and they are the victims of a political witch hunt,'' said Isaac, who has consulted the two. |
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