Broward Health counter-sues former CEO: 5 things to know

Ayla Ellison -

Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based Broward Health's ex-CEO Pauline Grant sued her former employer in December 2016. The health system fired back in a counter-suit filed Dec. 1, alleging Ms. Grant violated the Anti-Kickback Statute.

Here are five things to know about the litigation.

1. North Broward Hospital District, which does business as Broward Health, claims Ms. Grant violated the system's code of conduct by serving as secretary of the board of directors of a long-term care provider that had contracts with Broward Health, according to the Sun Sentinel.

2. The health system alleges Ms. Grant's position on the board violated the terms of a corporate integrity agreement the hospital district entered into with the federal government in 2015. The agreement was put into place after Broward Health paid $69.5 million in September 2015 to settle allegations it violated the False Claims Act by holding improper financial relationships with physicians.

3. Broward Health also claims Ms. Grant violated the Anti-Kickback Statute while she was CEO of Broward Health North in Deerfield Beach, Fla., one of the health system's six hospitals.

4. Broward Health's board voted 4-1 on Dec. 1, 2016, to fire Ms. Grant. The board votedto remove Ms. Grant from her position after an independent counsel review showed potential violations of the Anti-Kickback Statute. A subsequent independent investigationfound Ms. Grant "ran afoul" of federal anti-kickback law when awarding emergency room contracts to orthopedic physicians seeking to participate in Broward Health North's on-call emergency department rotation.

5. Following her ouster, Ms. Grant sued Broward Health, accusing the system's general counsel and four board members of violating the Florida open-meetings law to bring about her termination.

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