Emergency Agency Settles Federal Kickback Lawsuit

TULSA, Okla. (AP) – An emergency medical care provider in Oklahoma, with ties to Tyler’s former East Texas Medical Center, has authorized a payment of $300,000 to settle a federal kickback lawsuit. The lawsuit, filed in January 2017, alleged that Emergency Medical Services received $20 million in kickbacks from a former Texas contractor. The Tulsa World reports that the EMSA Board of Trustees unanimously approved the settlement during a special meeting Monday. Federal officials said in court filings last week that a settlement had been reached in principle with EMSA and its former president and CEO, Stephen Williamson. A spokeswoman for U.S. Attorney Joseph Brown, whose Eastern District of Texas office brought the lawsuit, declined to comment to the newspaper on the settlement.