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Internal Investigations

Given the complexity of regulated industries such as healthcare and finance, nearly every organization will face allegations of wrongdoing at some point. We have conducted hundreds of internal investigations and audits with the goal of helping our clients work through the difficulties of government and regulatory investigations.

Healthcare organizations are vulnerable to allegations of fraud and misconduct, both internally and externally. Numerous challenges arise in either case and having the necessary tools and resources to navigate them includes partnering with an experienced team of attorneys.
Elliott Sauter has the requisite knowledge and experience from our years of service in the United States Department of Justice. We have conducted internal investigations into laboratories, pharmacies, physician practices, home health agencies, medical device companies, hospitals, and ancillary medical services.

Conducting An Internal Investigation

We work within your organization to establish specific parameters for an internal investigation. This includes researching billing data, medical records and conducting employee interviews.
Our goal is to cause minimal disruption to business operations while conducting research and interviews with our seamless investigative process.

HIPAA Security and Privacy Violations

Data breaches are a constant threat in all healthcare organizations. Human error is always a possibility and technical breaches have become prevalent. Both HIPAA security and patient privacy are high-level concerns.

The attorneys at Elliott Sauter conduct internal investigations to discover possible violations and to ensure all employees are trained in compliance and security practices. The legal consequences of intentional or unintentional releases of patient data must be understood by all employees and personnel at all levels.

Privacy is often breached inadvertently on electronic and digital platforms such as patient portals, texts, social media, faxes and phone calls. Frequently employees are not sufficiently warned or trained and their disregard may lead to regulatory, governmental, and/or public scrutiny.

Three Steps To Protecting Your Organization

Hire an Independent Organization

Internal investigations should be conducted by third-party firms. Employees inside your organization may be involved or connected to those who are involved in a data breach. Impartiality is crucial.
Elliott Sauter conducts on-site interviews with owners, officers, managers, and employees. We use our knowledge of the healthcare field as well as the courtroom to structure legal interviews for superior results.

Determine the Scope of the Investigation

Our first priority at the outset of an internal investigation is determining the necessary depth and scope. Based on our assessment we develop a time frame for document research and employee interviews.
As knowledgeable experienced counsel, we provide you with expert damage assessment, control, and remediation when dealing with legal threats.

Develop a Corrective Action Plan

Internal investigations often uncover compliance issues requiring immediate action and we know what steps to take.
Timing is critical in reducing the overall effect of fraud, misconduct, and privacy breach situations. As more time goes by, more damage can occur. We put together a timely, corrective action plan to mitigate the legal consequences faced by your organization.