By REBECCA SANTANA
The Associated Press
TRENTON, N.J. — The federal monitor in charge of investigating the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey warns the school risks heavy fines and the grounding of its air ambulance services because it’s not complying with federal requirements.
In its year-end report to the U.S. Attorney’s Office released Monday, Herbert J. Stern wrote that his office began investigating the air ambulance services after receiving reports that UMDNJ was improperly billing for air transport services.
In the course of that investigation, officials discovered that the school does not have an air operator certificate which is required by the Federal Aviation Administration and governs the operation of air ambulance services, said John Inglesino, lead counsel to the federal monitor.
“They don’t have that. They are not in compliance with FAA regulations,” Inglesino said.
According to the report, when the monitor’s office asked university officials for evidence of their regulatory approvals, school officials said UMDNJ did not need state or federal approval to be involved with the air ambulance service because the state police purchases, maintains and flies the helicopters.
“There seems to be some confusion between ourselves and our colleagues in the state police over who is responsible for regulatory requirements, but we will begin working immediately to resolve the questions raised by the monitor,” said Anna Farneski, a spokeswoman for the university.
In the report, the monitor wrote that the school should immediately consult with the proper agencies regarding the certificate.
The issue is especially pressing because the FAA has recently been imposing strong penalties for air ambulances that are not adhering to proper regulations, including grounding helicopters and imposing fines of as much as $1 million, the monitor wrote.
UMDNJ, which promotes itself as the nation’s largest health sciences university, has been under scrutiny amid an investigation into alleged Medicare and Medicaid fraud. In December 2005, its trustees agreed to appoint a federal monitor to oversee its finances after U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie threatened to indict the university if it did not.
Besides the year-end report, the monitor makes quarterly reports to the U.S. Attorney’s office about the investigation.
Overall, the year-end report said “progress is being made toward reforming this institution.” Now, the university needs stable leadership in the form of a full Board of Trustees and a permanent president, the monitor wrote.
“We’re pleased that the monitor has identified progress in some important areas and that he has reiterated his findings about the continued fulfillment of our academic and service missions. We look forward to working with him,” Farneski said.