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Loretto execs spent big bucks on buddies while pleading poverty to lawmakers

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Illinois

* Block Club Chicago and the BGA…

Loretto Hospital paid millions of dollars to private companies founded by a close friend and business partner of Dr. Anosh Ahmed, who helped run the hospital until he resigned last month amid a COVID vaccine distribution scandal.

The publicly funded hospital paid nearly $4 million to the three companies in one year alone, making them the top-paid “independent contractors” listed on the hospital’s tax statements between July 2018 and June 2019.

All three companies have ties to Ahmed’s business partner and friend Sameer Suhail, according to an investigation by Block Club Chicago and the Better Government Association. One of Suhail’s companies, One Health Billing Co., received $2.1 million from Loretto during the 12-month time period. Headquartered in Suhail’s Trump Tower condo, the firm doesn’t have a website and isn’t registered with the Illinois Secretary of State’s Office. […]

Loretto reported a $12 million operating loss in its 2019 tax report, and it has struggled with funding during the pandemic, CEO George Miller has said. In recent years, Loretto has warned it could close due to funding shortfalls.

But while Loretto appealed to state lawmakers for taxpayer support, Ahmed and Suhail were living side-by-side in a Downtown high-rise and pursuing businesses together, according to land and corporate records as well as interviews with business and medical colleagues.

posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Apr 28, 21 @ 10:26 am

Comments

I keep trying to phrase my feelings in a way Rich will allow, but I just can’t.

Comment by Cheryl44 Wednesday, Apr 28, 21 @ 10:34 am
Paging John Lausch

Comment by Chicagonk Wednesday, Apr 28, 21 @ 10:37 am
Jb watch. As willy says, governor own.

Comment by Masker Wednesday, Apr 28, 21 @ 10:37 am
=== As … says, governor own===

What exactly is the owning here?

Use your words.

Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Apr 28, 21 @ 10:42 am
==I keep trying to phrase my feelings in a way Rich will allow, but I just can’t.==

Will this work? Kudos to Block Club Chicago for doing the reporting on this. We need good journalism in this state.

Beyond that, I got nuthin.

Comment by Formerly Unemployed Wednesday, Apr 28, 21 @ 10:43 am
“Code Green in the boardroom; we need forensic accounting STAT”
And criminal investigations by the State and Feds; they’ll find Medicaid and Medicare fraud, among other issues. I agree with Cheryl44; my posting is the version fit for public viewing, and it took more than one try to write it.

Comment by thisjustinagain Wednesday, Apr 28, 21 @ 10:44 am
How are they getting away with this? Meanwhile, a big project for St. Anthony Hospital, another hospital you just would not want to be at.

Comment by Amalia Wednesday, Apr 28, 21 @ 10:59 am
Having two prominent elected officials on the board obviously worked wonders for making sure that the hospital was focused on community needs.

Comment by NIU Grad Wednesday, Apr 28, 21 @ 11:00 am
All of a sudden, the vaccine controversy seems trite…like a deck chair on the Titanic.

Comment by Tammy Wednesday, Apr 28, 21 @ 11:06 am
“Loretto to Leavenworth: A Chicago Story in Three Acts”

Comment by JP Altgeld Wednesday, Apr 28, 21 @ 11:21 am
This entire Loretto story is stunning. This CEO was a charter member of the friends and family enrichment society. And yea, where was Lightford? Where was Ford? Reminds me of when Big Jim was on the board of the Sun-Times letting Conrad Black get away with murder. But Big Jim didn’t get big perks for being on the board.

Comment by Where were they? Wednesday, Apr 28, 21 @ 11:25 am
These white collar thieves, i.e., poverty p&mps, should be investigated and arrested.

Comment by Blonde Moment Wednesday, Apr 28, 21 @ 11:32 am
The board failed to exercise proper control over the organization and its contracts.

Legislators or their immediate family members sitting on the boards of nonprofit organizations is a recipe for disaster.

Statements of economic Interest should be expanded to require legislators and other elected officials to report not only whether they served on the board of a corporation, but whether that corporation received public funding, and if so how much.

Comment by Thomas Paine Wednesday, Apr 28, 21 @ 11:42 am
Are we surprised? Makes you wonder if there’s more nefarious activity occurring behind the scenes of other safety-nets.

Comment by Denny's Grand Slam Wednesday, Apr 28, 21 @ 12:19 pm
I guess ‘Do no harm’ applies only to patients, not fleecing a hospital or diverting additional Covid vaccine to your buddies rather than personnel at Loretto.

Comment by Jocko Wednesday, Apr 28, 21 @ 12:23 pm
Did the medical billing company actually do the medical billing for the hospital? Or, did they just exist on paper and get paid for no actual work?

Comment by DuPage Wednesday, Apr 28, 21 @ 12:56 pm
I am not the sort who is ever outraged, but with each new story about these pieces of work, I am becoming more and more so. I felt my blood pressure rise reading this piece. To think of all the people who could have been helped with resources that instead lined the pockets of these fools so they could take “cool” pictures for Instagram and eat at nice steakhouses. Throw the book at them…please.

Comment by Ace Laredo Wednesday, Apr 28, 21 @ 1:55 pm
It’s not just the board. Rep Lilly is a long-time senior executive there.

Comment by West Cook Wednesday, Apr 28, 21 @ 2:02 pm
Wondering Where?
How the Durbin Crime Fighting Express and Chief Engineer Lausch?

Comment by Annonin' Wednesday, Apr 28, 21 @ 3:25 pm
Speaking of Ethics (As Capt Fax was earlier) these dudes sound vaguely like the LaHood Loan Co folks perhaps that scandal overlaps

Comment by Annonin' Wednesday, Apr 28, 21 @ 3:33 pm
== Did the medical billing company actually do the medical billing for the hospital? Or, did they just exist on paper and get paid for no actual work?==
This is the deal in a nutshell. And was the work done at close to market rate? How many companies bid on the work? Did the board discuss this?

Comment by 17% Solution Wednesday, Apr 28, 21 @ 6:07 pm
Someone’s knocking on the door…somebody’s ringing the bell,

Comment by Southsider Wednesday, Apr 28, 21 @ 7:12 pm