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NEWARK
– An eye surgeon who allegedly submitted
falsified eye examination reports so patients
would qualify for funding for cataract surgery
has been reprimanded by the State
Board of Medical Examiners (B.M.E.)
and will pay $80,000 in restitution to the
N.J. Commission for the Blind and Visually
Impaired.
Dr. Hitesh K. Patel will
pay a $45,000 civil penalty and reimburse
the state $50,000 for its investigative,
legal and expert witness costs, in addition
to the restitution. Patel also must attend
and pass a course on record keeping, under
terms of the Consent Order with the B.M.E.
Dr. Patel allegedly submitted
false eye examination reports, which showed
worse vision problems than patients actually
had, to the Commission in order to qualify
for funding to perform cataract surgery.
Patel neither admitted nor denied the state’s
allegations in entering into the Consent
Order.
“Protecting the health,
safety and welfare of the public is of paramount
concern to our licensing boards,”
Attorney General Paula T. Dow said.
The inaccuracies in Patel’s
eye examination reports were confirmed when
a second physician examined the same patients,
as required by the Commission.
“We will investigate
any allegation of fraud, deception or misrepresentation,
as these actions undermine the trust that
is the foundation of the patient-physician
relationship,” said Thomas R. Calcagni,
Acting Director of the Division of Consumer
Affairs.
Dr. Patel maintains an office
in Edison and performed eye surgery at a
facility in Hamilton Township, Mercer County.
Deputy Attorney General
Kim D. Ringler represented the state in
this settlement.
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