Everyone has their baggage; for some, the suitcases never seems to stop circling the baggage carousel. At least that what Rutgers University is finding out now that it merged with the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ). Rutgers recently settled two whistleblower claims; the school agreed to pay out a total of $2 million for the pair of lawsuits filed by university administrators.
UMDNJ’s chief financial officer Edward Burke said he was fired because he accused top executives of defrauding Medicare for an ongoing period of time. The CFO received $1.2 million when the case settled in April.
Whistleblower case No. 2 involved a UMDNJ purchasing official. Ellen Casey said she was fired after she reported that the university was awarding contracts without putting the jobs out for bid. The telecommunications contracts were worth millions of dollars. In the settlement, Rutgers agreed to pay her $700,000.
These two cases are not the first time UMDNJ has been in hot water. In fact, there were many scandals in recent years, including a kickback scheme in which doctors were being paid to refer patients to the school’s cardiac surgery program. The doctors weren’t required to practice medicine as part of the deal. Also, Medicare and Medicaid overbilling and giving contracts to political pals put UMDNJ in the headlines and courtrooms in recent years.
Not every business is involved in poor practices or trying to deceive or defraud the government. However, if your company is doing some shady things and you have proof, you should speak with a skilled lawyer about filing a whistleblowing claim. In addition to setting the record straight and uncovering the fraud, you may be entitled to financial compensation.
Contact Ross Begelman at the experienced whistleblower law firm of Begelman & Orlow about your case today.