Eli's Hospice Insider
High-Profile Novus Case Sees More Guilty Pleas From DON, Marketers
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Nursing head admitted to falsifying documentation, among other misdeeds. Nine defendants are on track for a trial next year in the notorious Novus Health case, following three more guilty pleas. Director of Nursing Patricia Armstrong, marketing director Slade Brown, and co-founder and VP of marketing Samuel Anderson are the fifth, sixth, and seventh defendants to plead guilty in the case against Novus, in which the feds allege Novus CEO Bradley Harris directed hospice nurses to speed up the death of elderly patients by administering certain drugs. Armstrong entered her plea Nov. 2, and Brown and Anderson entered theirs Nov. 27, reports the Dallas Morning News. Among other misdeeds, Armstrong admits to falsifying documentation, recruiting ineligible patients for bonuses, and being aware of patients’ overmedication, the newspaper says. Armstrong is cooperating in the investigation. Anderson and others recruited doctors to refer patients in exchange for sham medical director payments, and paid certified nursing assistants to work at assisted living facilities in exchange for referrals, according to court documents. He is expected to testify in future trials, the News says. The other 9 defendants in the case will face trial next year, unless more guilty pleas come in.
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