Texas lawmaker looks into safeguards on stimulus funds

A congressional panel is looking into how the government is safeguarding stimulus funds after millions were plowed into a now-defunct Texas hospital chain whose former administrator faces charges of bilking nearly $800,000 of the payout.

Rep. Michael Burgess, R-Lewisville and a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, sought the inquiry after The Dallas Morning News reported last week that Joe White is accused of falsely attesting to the feds that a hospital met requirements for stimulus money intended to help health facilities computerize medical records.

White is former chief financial officer of the troubled chain owned by Dr. Tariq Mahmood of Cedar Hill. The News reported in August that nearly $18 million was awarded by the federal government to the chain to computerize records. Mahmood’s hospitals have been under investigation by the state and federal government.

“Now that an indictment has been issued involving the program,” Burgess said his committee is seeking “formal answers to the bigger questions.” He said the public needs to know whether the Mahmood case is unique and what internal controls have been pursued to prevent further abuses.

More at http://www.dallasnews.com/news/community-news/lewisville-flower-mound/headlines/20140210-texas-lawmaker-looks-into-safeguards-on-stimulus-funds.ece .