Heart Center of Extravagence - Part #2
Faced with a critical decline in paying heart patients at Broward General, hospital officials chose to throw mega-money at the problem by:
- Building a multi-million dollar Heart Center of Excellence.
- Bankrolling a growing team of hired cardio guns to staff the
Heart Center under the direction of Dr. Michael Chizner.
Irony of ironies?
Dr. Chizner had been the primary cause for Broward General's heart patient exodus in the first place.
A cardiologist in private practice with the Fort Lauderdale Heart Group, Chizner left private practice in FY 2000 to join the staff of Broward General Hospital.
During his first fill fiscal year at Broward General, Chizner established a rather remarkable pattern as recorded in the District's budget:
Michael Chizner Trends – FY 2000
Projected Actual
Chizner generated:
Gross Revenue $924,592 $645,565
Expenses $1,021,196 $1,053,407
Patient Visits 7,614 4,381
No matter.
Despite the cardiologist's gross failure to provide the level of “heart business” projected in his original agreement with hospital officials, District commissioners moved forward with their plan to create a “state of the art” Heart Center of Excellence at Broward General --- further rewarding Chizner by naming him both chief fund raiser and medical director of the new Center.
Unfortunately, in agreeing to pay Chizner $10 million during his ten year contract with the tax-funded District, hospital officials sparked a firestorm of outrage among the other local cardiologists who'd built up Broward General's heart patient numbers in the past – sans any Chizner-style deal with the District.
Even worse, like the driver who backs up his truck to run over his victim again, the District further infuriated the local heart care professionals by breaking its long established ties with the Greater Fort Lauderdale Heart Group, where Chizner had worked before cutting his platinum deal with from the hospital.
All of which led to a massive exodus of cardiologists and their patients from the District's hospitals.
Chizner's response to the firestorm he'd created was truly philosophical for a Million Dollar Doc:
“You are going to have people with jealousy and envy and that's sad.”
Sad maybe.
But also hugely expensive for the public hospital system.
Because the backlash from Chizner's platinum deal with the hospital forced the District to bankroll a collection of hired gun cardiologists to (unsuccessfully) offset its huge loss in heart care business.
Heart Care at Broward General – the Chizner Years
1998 2000 2008
Before Chizner Chizer Arrives
Open Heart Surgery
Broward General 441 381 264 (40%)
All Other Hospitals 3,056 2,878 1,617 (47%)
Cardiac Caths
Broward General 3,131 1,684 2,078 (34%)
All Other Hospitals 14,526 16,168 14,104 (3%)
Hired Cardio Guns 1 doc 3 docs 7 docs
Dr. Gill Dr. Gill Dr. Gill
Dr. Chizner Dr. Chizner
Dr. Rozanski Dr. Rosanski
Dr. Sharma
Dr. McCormack
Dr. Zelnick
Dr. Aureon
Cost To District $822,238 $2,564,996 $5,726,449
Bottom line?
If Broward General's Heart Center of Excellence ever adopts a theme song, they might consider the Doin' the Stark Law Boogie which features a toe-tappin' chorus that goes something like:
When in danger or in doubt
Write more checks and pass them out
'Cause buying more patients is what we're all about.
Sources: North Broward Hospital District
Broward Regional Health Planning Council
You can email me at johndegroot@live.com
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