- Florida: A Florida teenager was arrested this week after allegedly performing physical exams and giving medical advice to patients—the third time the 18-year-old has been accused of pretending to be a physician in recent years. Malachi A. Love-Robinson was investigated for similar allegations in October and in early 2015. In Florida, practicing medicine without a license is a third-degree felony (Rogers, New York Times, 2/17; Ellison, Becker's Hospital Review, 2/17; Ellison, Becker's Hospital Review, 1/20/15).
- Georgia: Rural hospitals in Georgia are pushing state lawmakers to act ahead of the scheduled end of Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) payments on Jan. 1, 2018. Grady Memorial Hospital CEO John Haupert says his hospital's mental health clinic could close if it cannot make up the lost revenue. While some are still pushing for the state to expand Medicaid through the Affordable Care Act, the Georgia Chamber of Commerce has hired staffers to push for an alternative that would "effectively expand Medicaid without calling it Medicaid expansion," Max Blau reports for Atlanta Magazine (Blau, Atlanta Magazine, 2/17).
- South Carolina: Holistic Wellness Center of the Carolinas is an unconventional provider. Its alternative medical doctors employ "functional medicine" and do not prescribe medications; instead, they focus on helping patients reduce stress, minimize chemical exposure, and improve their diets. "It's about helping people resolve the underlying cause, not just put[ting] a Band-Aid on the problem," says clinic director Caitlyn Boyle (Harris, Fort Mill Times, 2/15).
February 19, 2016
Around the nation: Florida teen arrested after allegedly impersonating a doctor (for a third time)
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