Brooklyn OB-GYN Left Patients in Care of Unlicensed, Unsupervised Staff: DOJ

A Staten Island OB-GYN with headquarters in Brooklyn has settled a state and federal government civil suit against him for $8,047,291.06, says Kelly Currie, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York.

Dr. Haroutyoun Margossian is accused of violating Medicare and Medicaid regulations by leaving the office while his patients were being treated, leaving them in the care of ”unlicensed and often unsupervised staff.”

Margossian’s main office is located in the Bay Ridge neighborhood of Brooklyn. U.S. News & World Report also lists him as an OB-GYN on staff at Lutheran Medical Center in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, and Mercy Medical Center in the town of Rockville Centre, New York.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office says in a report on the settlement that Margossian primarily treated women with urinary incontinence during the window of inquiry (2007 to 2013).

From the report:

Patients received urodynamics testing and underwent pelvic floor rehabilitation by an unlicensed staff without proper physician supervision. Margossian was often absent from the office while conducting surgery at area hospitals and, at times, on vacation out of the country.

Margossian is also accused of over-billing Medicare for his services.

If Margossian abides by the $8 million settlement, which requires him to “install an independent billing monitor of his practice,” all criminal charges against him will be eligible for dismissal, says the report.

In response, the doctor’s attorney sent the following statement to Patch.

“Dr. Margossian has always been dedicated to patients, and not to maximizing profits. From firsthand experience, patients and other doctors know this is true and many of them wrote letters supporting him. We are gratified the government’s further investigation led to a deferred prosecution agreement that will result in a dismissal of the charges. Dr. Margossian looks forward to continuing to serve his patients and to complying with all applicable laws and regulations.”