Massachusetts General Hospital settles with surgeon in wrongful termination suit

Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) has recently settled with Dennis Burke, MD, an orthopedic surgeon who was fired in 2015 for allegedly violating patient confidentiality. Burke shared information with the Boston Globe Spotlight team that shed light on the hospital’s practice of scheduling overlapping surgeries, raising concerns about the safety of this practice. However, he claimed that he was dismissed for voicing these concerns and contends that he did not violate patient safety in sharing information with the Spotlight team.

According to Burke’s lawyer, MGH agreed to pay Burke $13 million, offered him his job back, and named a hospital safety initiative after him. While Burke accepted the settlement, he declined the job offer and will instead be named to the honorary staff.

In a statement, the hospital expressed gratitude to Burke for bringing the safety concerns to its attention in order to preserve patient safety and high-quality care.

Last fall, the Massachusetts medical board passed new rules for overlapping surgeries, in the wake of the Spotlight team's report. In 2015, MGH’s practice of scheduling overlapping surgeries also prompted a lawsuit from a former MGH anesthesiologist who alleged fraudulent billing of Medicare and Medicaid. For an update on that suit, see the case summary in the September 2019 issue of Credentialing Resource Center Journal.

Source: NECN