Cardiologist given no-show contracts at New Jersey medical school

Ted Sherman and Josh Margolin of The Star-Ledger cover the details emerging from a “whistle blower lawsuit” against the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. In an effort to make their cardiac surgery program seem robust to avoid being shut down, UMDNJ " paid at least nine local cardiologists in private practice salaries and stipends as high as $150,000 to become "clinical assistant professors" in an effort to increase the number of patients in the university's troubled heart surgery program." These were not physicians who were attending rounds or lecturing, instead they only served the purpose of referring patients to the program. Following the story, the state Senate launched a probe into the allegations. Jobs have already been cut due to the story and probe. "The state's medical university plans to fire two cardiologists who allegedly were given no-show faculty jobs&#46&#46&#46and plans to cut the salaries of nine other doctors, according to an internal memo from the university president."