Alfred Bonati, MD, founder of Hudson, Fla.-based Bonati Spine Institute, filed for Chapter 11 protection, the Tampa Bay Times reported April 7.
Bankruptcy proceedings also were initiated for Gulf Coast Orthopedic Center, the practice’s business arm, and affiliate All American Holdings, the report said. The combined firms reported liabilities of at least $101 million.
The move comes two years after the spine ASC was temporarily shut down by the state amid allegations that a “certified surgical technologist” was performing surgeries without a medical license. Dr. Bonati sued the state’s health agency for defamation, and the lawsuit was dismissed.
Dr. Bonati opened the practice in 1984 with a focus on minimally invasive spine surgery.
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