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Two plead in patient brokering case
By JEFF TESTERMAN © St. Petersburg Times, published February 8, 2001 TAMPA -- Two more employees of the largest patient brokering operation in the United States pleaded guilty Wednesday and agreed to cooperate with a federal grand jury investigation. Frank William Guagliardo, the controller of Progressive Health Care, and Richard James Santaniello, who ran the telephone operation at Progressive, both pleaded guilty to conspiracy. The two face up to five years in prison, fines of $250,000 and unspecified restitution to the U.S. Government. Progressive Health Care, a Morganville, N.J., company, was owned primarily by William DeMaria Jr., characterized as the kingpin of a nationwide patient brokering operation. The company paid illegal kickbacks for referrals of Medicare patients into treatment programs for addiction and psychiatric care. In the Tampa Bay area, Progressive and sister companies steered patients to treatment centers at Sun Coast Hospital in Largo, The Manors in Tarpon Springs, Horizon Hospital in Clearwater, Greenbrier Hospital in Brooksville and Heritage Hospital in rural Citrus County. Santaniello ran the telephone intake room at Progressive from 1991 to 1995, according to court papers, taking patient referrals and making hospital placements. DeMaria and two other principals of Progressive Health Care have pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges and await sentencing. DeMaria, Ronald W. Greenfield and Peter D. Stratton also have agreed to settle civil claims by the government by paying $3.99-million in fines and restitution.
 © 2006 • All Rights Reserved • Tampa Bay Times
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