Real costs of hurricanes; a Hollywood doc dealing drugs; hospital CEO to repay $5.43M – Morning Medical Update

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Real toll of hurricanes that reach the United States

The Southeast United States still is reeling from the effects of Hurricane Helene. Natural disasters are bad for human health, for example, when a hurricane makes landfall and a victim is killed due to the weather conditions. Even one premature death is tragic, but the real human toll of hurricanes is much, much greater – leading to an increase of thousands of deaths, even more than 10,000, according to a new study in Nature. As for Hurricane Helene, here’s a way to help: Donate to Operation Airdrop, a Texas-based nonprofit that recruits volunteer pilots to fly in supplies to areas where natural disaster makes ground access difficult.

Doctor dealing drugs

This week, California physician Mark Chavez pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute ketamine to the late actor Matthew Perry, known for his role on the NBC sitcom “Friends.” Chavez allegedly sold ketamine lozenges to another physician who gave them to Perry, who died in his home jacuzzi in October last year. Chavez could face up to 10 years in prison. NBC News has this report.

C-suite trouble

A former CEO of a Texas hospital was ordered to repay more than $5.43 million to resolve allegations of illegal payments to physicians for laboratory referrals from 2015 to 2018. Jeffrey Madison of Georgetown, Texas, allegedly violated the Anti-Kickback Statute and will cooperate in a continuing investigation of other participants in the alleged schemes, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.