Los Angeles – To crack down on timecard fraud and abuse by County physicians, the Board of Supervisors will consider a motion by Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich directing the Director of the Department of Health Services (DHS) to implement recommendations made by the Auditor-Controller’s Office based on its August 19 report.

Physician time accountability and monitoring of timecards have been ongoing problems at DHS.  The Auditor-Controller suggests that DHS establish a department-wide policy, requiring timecards to be fully completed and include hours worked as well as arrival and departure time.  In addition, DHS should develop standard physician sign-in and sign-out sheets and work schedule forms, and hold physician supervisors accountable for ensuring that physicians use them.

Other recommendations include a formal mechanism to verify the hours worked by contracted physicians — hours billed to the County are generally certified by members of the facility’s management who are not always present when contractors have claimed to be working.  In addition, the Auditor proposes centralization of Human Resources to monitor outside employment of physicians. 

The Supervisor’s motion also calls for the Auditor-Controller to report back on the Department of Health Services implementation of the Auditor-Controller’s recommendations and report back to the Board within 120-days