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Hocog sues CHCC for allegedly refusing to pay services in 2009
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Posted on Oct 14 2015
Dr. Lorenzo “Larry” B. Hocog is suing the Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. for allegedly refusing to pay for the services he rendered to the Commonwealth Health Center in 2009.
Hocog, through counsel William M. Fitzgerald, asked the Superior Court to hold the corporation liable to pay him the value of the services he provided to the hospital and the people of the CNMI. He did not specify the amount he is asking for.
According to Fitzgerald in Hocog’s complaint, the emergency room at CHC was without a physician on June 25, 2009, as the doctor who was assigned for duty on that day was off sick.
Fitzgerald said that Pedro Untalan, the then-CHC administrator and acting health secretary, through John Flores, requested Hocog to cover the shift at the CHC emergency room.
The lawyer said Hocog served as the only physician at the CHC emergency room on that day from 7am until 7pm.
The same thing happened on July 1, 2009, Fitzgerald said, with Hocog again covering the shift at the emergency room.
From Aug. 17 to 22, 2009, CHC was again faced with a critical need for a physician to provide internal medicine services. Fitzgerald said Hocog responded to the request of CHC officials and provided critically needed services.
Despite repeated requests for payment, CHCC has failed and continues to fail to pay Hocog the value of the services he provided, Fitzgerald said.
