Providence, RI (August 8, 2011) – Pannone Lopes Devereaux & West LLC (PLDW) Partner William P. Devereaux, who leads the firm’s Criminal and Health Care teams, provides valuable advice on ways to prevent fraud and abuse in health care in a new informational video, available to the public at www.pldw.com.

“Modern hospitals are undergoing a transformation like never before,” explains Mr. Devereaux. “Advancements in technology are driving the change to reduce costs and provide better health care to the public. These trends make it imperative for companies of all sizes to be proactive and diligent in designing preventative measures to avoid fraud and abuse.”

The health care industry is a minefield of rules and regulations all of which present potential liability to the provider. According to a recent study by Thomson Reuters analysts, fraud and abuse tops ‘$125 to $175 billion annually’ and is the second highest area of wastefulness in health care today. In order to prevent the possibility of fraud and abuse, Mr. Devereaux suggests three fundamental elements in his informational video: 1) having compliance policies in place, 2) performing regular audits and 3) training staff to be proactive in detecting potential crime. Mr. Devereaux’s valuable insight was also recently published in the New York Hudson Valley Business Journal in an article entitled Prevention is the best ‘medicine’ to reduce risk in health care fraud and abuse.

Mr. Devereaux is a highly successful and well-respected criminal lawyer who routinely handles complicated and high-profile criminal matters and was the first attorney in the United States to successfully negotiate a “Deferred Prosecution Agreement” for a health care provider. He represents individuals and corporations in the public, private, not-for-profit and nonprofit sectors, including hospitals, health care systems, clinical facilities and physicians. His experience includes white-collar criminal defense and complex litigation at the State and Federal level. He is experienced in dealing with the Department of Justice, the HHS Office of Inspector General and Office of Civil Rights, Medicare fiscal intermediaries, state and federal prosecutors and Medicaid agencies in defending his clients with respect to criminal matters, enforcement actions, investigations and agency audits. ‘Preventing Fraud and Abuse in Health Care’ is the fourth video, following vignettes on Public Private Partnerships, Social Media in the Workplace, and Employment Law, that has been released to the public as part of the firm’s online informational video project. The entire series can be found on www.pldw.com.

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For further information, please contact PLDW Director of Administration David Sweet at 401-824-5100 or email dsweet@pldw.com

About Pannone Lopes Devereaux & West LLC
The attorneys and staff at Pannone Lopes Devereaux & West LLC (PLDW) are committed to developing practical and cost-effective solutions while also being supportive of the community in a meaningful way. With offices in Rhode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York and Florida, PLDW has developed a business model that combines international expertise with a more cost-effective delivery system that involves cross training of lawyers and a more practical approach to problem solving. The primary areas of practice for the firm include administrative, corporate and municipal law, civil litigation, government relations, real estate and commercial lending and estate planning and special masterships. The partners demand of themselves and those on the PLDW team, an unparalleled sense of urgency and responsiveness which is derived from an authentic appreciation for their clients and the community in which they serve. For more information, visit www.pldw.com.