How to Get Away with FRAUD...The story of NYU
This is the True Story of how NYU stole >$100 Million from U.S. Veterans & got away with it, by sending Dr. Sasaki instead to prison for whistleblowing to destroy his credibility.
Dr. Sasaki's father was a U.S. Veteran from the Korean War
Despite disabilities from his service to America during the Korean War, Sgt Chris Sasaki earned 3 master’s degrees in the 60s with ground-breaking theses such as emphasizing that in the teacher-student relationship, the teacher learns the most (ie, “What I learned from my students”). Sgt Sasaki then dedicated decades to the Hawaii State Government introducing & establishing the outreach counseling program for elementary schools.
Sgt Sasaki refused to collect disability because he felt that other Vets were worse off so more deserving of those benefits. It was through his father that Dr. Sasaki learned of the poor medical care given to U.S. Vets, despite the lip service by those in power. Never would Dr. Sasaki imagine that NYU, the very residency program that he joined, would be defrauding >$100Million from the VA’s coffers for more than a decade. Never would Dr. Sasaki suspect that NYU would completely get away with it & instead Dr. Sasaki would go to prison for a crime the U.S. Government knows he didn’t commit.
Sgt Sasaki had a profound belief of service to America instilled in him during World War II despite other Japanese kept in internment cages & their possessions distributed amongst whites. Too bad the feeling was not mutual.
Staff Sgt Christopher S. Sasaki
U.S. Veteran of the Korean WarDr. Sasaki’s father was a U.S. Army Vet of the Korean War in the mortar division. Sgt Chris Sasaki died of liver cancer on April 24, 2016, two years to the day, his son, a doctor was sentenced for a crime he never committed. Although Dr. Sasaki was a minimum security prisoner & minutes away, the Federal Bureau of Prison (BoP) refused to allow him to go to the death bed, funeral or grave site. Sgt Sasaki died alone in severe pain. He now rests in Punchbowl Cemetery wondering if his son will ever be exonerated.
early 1950s Staff Sgt Christopher S. Sasaki, serves in the U.S. Army during the Korean War & is injured.
1973.08.02 Congress enacts Veterans HealthCare Expansion Act (PL93-82)
Established Title 38 U.S.C. §7406(c) which allows VA to pay institutions like NYU for "a pro rata share""to cover the cost for the period such intern or resident serves in a Department facility furnishing hospital care or medical services".
1982.09.13 Congress expanded the Lincoln Laws with PL97-258 creating Title 31 U.S.C. §3729-3733 as well as §3750(h)(collectively False Claims Act or "FCA")
1994.03 VA & NYU jointly sign disbursement agreement ("Agreement") under authority of Title 38 U.S.C. §7406(c)/PL93-82
1998 - NYU signs VHA Directive 98-031 Academic Affiliation Disbursement Agreements (revised 2008)(herein, "Directive") as well as Oversight Contract (RFQ)
2000.05 Dr Sasaki graduates medical school & is recruited by NYU into their elite Radiology/Neurology/NeuroRadiology program
2001.01 NYU & VA sign in agreement that NYU is "responsible for administrative, educational, and supervisory responsibility for the residents" at the VA "Hospital" (Institutional Affiliation Agreement).
2001.07.01 Along with all NYU doctors, Dr. Sasaki signs with NYU Professor "Richard Hanson MD" an "Appointment Affidavit" "under authority of Title 38 United States Code 7406"
2001.10.12 - As documented by his own agenda, NYU Program Director Dr. Ambrosino admitted that Dr. Cantor may cut the pay lines of residents because there were not enough residents so he told them to "show-up and sign-in"
2002.08.02 As shown by his agenda, Dr Ambrosino began telling residents at meetings that they only needed to "sign-in at VA" but not show up
2003.04.04 As evidenced by his agenda ("VA - MUST Sign-in"), Dr Ambrosino repeatedly tells residents at meetings to "Sign in at VA" but that they don't have to show up
2003.07.01 Dr Sasaki enters radiology portion of residency where he first begins to learn of fraud
2004.03 Dr Sasaki gets into argument with Dr Kramer about having others sign him into the VA even though he was not there as well as being forced to sign others who were not present himself
2004.04.07 Despite being at NYU, Dr Elissa Kramer reduces Dr Sasaki's "VA Nucs" evaluations from meets or exceeds expectations to below expectations
2004.06.30 Dr Ambrosino summarizes Dr Sasaki's performance to the American Board of Radiology: "Dr. Sasaki has shown a thorough understanding of radiologic material and general medical knowledge and was considered to have met or exceed expectations in each of the general competencies. He is competent and reliable, and has moral, ethical, and professional standards of the highest caliber. I recommend him".
2004.07.01 Dr Sasaki is given a Letter of Remediation by Drs Ambrosino & Megibow, who Dr Sasaki confirms told him this was retaliation for the sign in issue & that he would be terminated
2004.08 NYU makes Dr. Sasaki take a mock oral examination which had never been given to a non-senior radiology resident ever. Furthermore, Dr. Ambrosino said Dr. Sasaki was doing fine in 9 of the 11 categories in radiology so only tested him in 2.
2004.08.22 After Dr Sasaki passes mock oral exams, Dr Ambrosino doctors score sheet by circling lower numbers (reducing the score to 69.8 when passing is 70).
2004.10.04 Dr Ambrosino puts Dr Sasaki on probation based on "failing""mock oral examinations"
2005.03.07 Dr Sasaki finishes residency & enters "NeuroRad Fellowship" so Dr Ambrosino writes the American Board of Radiology: "Successful completion of probation has been defined as passing a departmental mock oral exam...which will be administered to Dr. Sasaki and his peers in July, 2005."
2005.03.15 Dr Ambrosino secretary sends out an email notifying NYU doctors that "in order to prevent fraud", "the Inspector General has mandated a new resident/fellow sign IN and sign OUT sheet""which will be at the...same place as the old sign in sheets""In an effort to ensure that a total of 5 residents/fellows are working at the VA rotation"
2005.04.11 Realizing NYU was retaliating for internal complaints about the fraud & was going to terminate him regardless, Dr Sasaki starts whistleblowing to VA OIG several times by phone
2005.04.13 Dr Michael Macari who administered Dr Sasaki the GI mock orals, testified "he did okay"
2005.04.20 Despite "multiple deficiencies" procedurally, NYU denies Dr Sasaki's appeal of probation
2005.04.28 Utilizing NYU computers, Dr Sasaki sends an email to the VA OIG: "Furthermore when I questioned the morality of this, I was immediately retaliated against and continue to this day to be harassed."
~2005.05.01 Drs Wang & Pramanik report by email that Dr Sasaki "met expectations" responding to Dr Knopp's email inquiry
2005.05.18 Dr Sasaki uses NYU/Dr Knopp's fax machine to send VA OIG info regarding NYU's fraud vs the VA. The next morning, he sees the fax trasmittal confirmation on Dr Knopp's desk
2005.05.19 - Dr Edmund Knopp claims Dr Sasaki was not meeting expectations so NYU terminates him, the first time a resident doctor has been dismissed from NYU
2005.05.19 - Dr Meng Law emails NYU faculty questioning Dr Sasaki's termination because "it was determined by consensus that he was meeting expectations"
2005.05.19 Dr Daniel Meltzer of NeuroRadiology emails Dr Sasaki: "The whole thing strikes me as some kind of lopsided prosecution...It sounds to me like there were some personality issues...we all have made misses, myself included...the other fellows and residents that I've spoke to all seemed to think you were doing as good a job as anyone else"
2005.06.10 Dr Ambrosino testified at a recorded internal NYU hearing:
1. When told that "[Dr Sasaki] spoke to [Dr Kramer] about his allegation that the residents were told to go there in the afternoon one resident would be assigned to go in and sign everybody who had signed in out. So essentially it was a cover for no one being there at all"
Dr Ambrosino responded: "I became aware - [Ciabattoni] made me aware that the same signature was on five different names - in the same hand"
2. “When was it that this issue of signing in and signing out for other people in absentia, or whatever, was brought to your attention?”
Dr. Ambrosino confessed: “It happened periodically, to be honest with you.” “the residents were wasting time there, they were sitting in wasting their time there because Dr. Banner, who is the attending at the VA didn’t feel comfortable allowing the people to leave.” “We’re told the VA is not happy with people signing in and leaving after the work is done”. “What am I to do with the residents? So it happens – they’re not stupid. So I tell them you have to go to the VA to sign in, so they go there and sign in and they leave.” “I didn’t think that there was an issue until the auditors started coming around. Dr. [Ciabattoni] made me aware of the fact that they wanted somebody sitting there twiddling their thumbs whether there’s something to do or not.”
3. “[Dr. Sasaki] made it sound like, whether it’s true or not, that one person went and signed in and out for all five”?
Dr. Ambrosino admitted: “That did happen. And when I was made aware...Dr Chabitoni was actually checking signatures and told me, it’s written by the same person.” So “We drew up a monthly sign in sheet” to replace the old ones.