The civil lawsuit filed by former patients against cardiologist Dr. Mark Midei and his former employer over alleged over-stenting settled on the eve of Midei’s testimony, reportedly without his agreement.
The lawsuit was filed against Midei and Catholic Health Initiatives, owner of the St. Joseph Medical Center where Midei practiced, by the more than 200 patients he’s accused of implanting with unnecessary stents.
Maryland stripped Midei’s medical license in May 2012 after the state’s medical board decided that the doctor committed "repeated and serious" violations.
"The trial that has been proceeding since April 1 has been resolved by agreement of the parties in a confidential settlement that included all former patients of Dr. Mark Midei who are represented by the Miller Murtha & Psoras law firm," a spokesman for the hospital chain told heartwire. A local TV news affiliate in Baltimore reported that lawyers in the case have "come up with a successful resolution," the website reported.
But Midei told heartwire that he was not involved in the settlement and did not consent or contribute to it in any way.
"I continue to maintain that the patients received necessary and appropriate care," Midei wrote in an email, according to heartwire, noting that the deal was made "on the eve of" his trial testimony.
"I have spent 4 years and 1,000s of hours in preparation for this testimony," he wrote. "I have spent significant personal resources in preparing for my defense. I have also spent nearly 6 weeks in trial while the plaintiffs presented their case. My defense was scheduled to begin today with a series of experts, including Drs. William O’Neill of Michigan, Richard Heuser of Phoenix, Gary Walford of Johns Hopkins, James Margolis of Miami, David Cox of Pennsylvania, and Earl Hope of Pennsylvania."
"The settlement on the eve of my testimony represents an obvious effort on the part of CHI to silence me, which has been a consistent theme since their determination to nullify the long-term contract they initiated with me in 2008," Midei added.
The erstwhile heart doc lost a bid to charge St. Joseph’s with defamation in April 2012, based on his claims that the center attempted to foist the blame on him. Accused of implanting unnecessary stents in as many as 369 patients, Midei has always claimed innocence.
He’s not the only cardiologist accused of over-stenting. Similar accusations were leveled against another Maryland physician, Dr. John Wang, in December 2011. In November of that year, Dr. John McLean, who also practiced in the Old Line State, received an 8-year prison sentence for Medicare fraud related to over-stenting. And last December, an interventional cardiologist in Louisiana began his 10-year sentence after losing an appeal.