Four things to know:
1. In the lawsuit, two physicians accuse Wilson Asfora, MD, of performing unnecessary spine surgeries with devices made by a company he owned. He and Sanford Health also allegedly billed Medicare for services that weren’t delivered.
2. Sanford Health chief medical officer Allison Suttle, MD, denied the allegations in a story published by the Argus Leader, saying Dr. Asfora was investigated but the allegations did not have merit.
3. Prior to the initial lawsuit, in October 2015, Sanford Health fired Dr. Asfora but reinstated him after two weeks.
4. In 2014, Sanford and Dr. Asfora agreed to pay $625,000 for anti-kickback violations associated with a physician-owned distributorship, according to the Argus Leader.
More articles on spine surgery:
How spine surgeons can combat the opioid epidemic – key thoughts from 4 surgeons
Dr. Zeeshan Sardar: Key thoughts on disc replacements and the double-edged sword of value-based care in spine
Health IT innovations that could change spine care: 3 surgeons weigh in
