Kadri questions whether hospital officials should meddle in private billing
Kidney specialist Dr. Albert Kadri — at the centre of a hearing to have his Windsor Regional Hospital privileges reinstated — asked whether hospital officials should meddle in physicians’ private billing.
“If it affects patient care ... yes, we have to get involved,” hospital CEO David Musyj answered during cross-examination Thursday.
Musyj said an external review had recommended a change in billing practices — so the hospital was obligated to look into it.
Kadri has taken his case to the Health Professions Appeal and Review Board and is trying to have his hospital privileges reinstated after Windsor Regional Hospital suspended them indefinitely on June 1, 2018.
Kadri’s billing practices came up in testimony the day before when Musyj said Kadri did not comply with the hospital’s policy. Kadri argued the hospital should not be involved in physician billing disputes at all and said OHIP routinely leaves such disputes to doctors.
Musyj said he brought the issue to Ministry of Health officials who asked to meet with the Windsor Regional Hospital nephrologists on staff to discuss the matter. Kadri said that when he requested private mediations he never heard back from the ministry.
Musyj was also asked if Kadri’s community clinic and what it offered would “jeopardize” hospital services.
The hospital CEO said the ministry — not “outside agencies” — directs the hospital on which programs to run.
Kadri has long opposed the hospital’s implementation of a new “model of care,” suggesting it would “interfere with established doctor-patient relationships.” He also said the mandated rotation of physicians would “put patients at risk.” The board ruled Tuesday it could not make decisions on the health-care model, given it does not have the authority to do so.
The review board said the issues at stake are Kadri’s conduct and whether the hospital acted in “bad faith.”
Musyj noted that a panel of Kadri’s peers — the medical advisory committee, comprised of doctors — voted to remove his privileges.
Kadri then provided a statement of support signed by fellow physicians, including some who hold hospital privileges.
Kadri also suggested his case should have first been brought up to an “ethics and credentials” group before the medical advisory committee, though Musyj said the hospital process was followed.
Kadri also addressed an issue of a pharmaceutical company directing cheques to his foundation, instead of to the hospital, which Musyj spoke to at the hearing Tuesday. Kadri said those funds were specifically for grants to his non-profit foundation and had nothing to do with drug purchases.
An audit into Kadri’s Care for Kidneys Foundation was launched in relation to the cheque concerns and is expected to be addressed again at a later hearing date.
The hearing, which began in October, will continue in January.