SYRACUSE, N.Y. — A complaint filed in the New York State Supreme Court of Cayuga County alleges that a surgeon was fired in retaliation for being a "whistleblower" concerning patient care at Auburn Community Hospital.
The complaint, dated Nov. 14 and filed by Dr. Xi Yang, alleges that a primary attending surgeon at the hospital would leave patients under anesthesia in the operating room and visit non-surgical patients at his own clinic. That clinic is described in the lawsuit as being located in a different building that is a five-minute walk away. Dr. Yang was made aware of the incident in July by his staff.
The complaint said that the defendant would see between 15 to 20 operating room patients and 50 to 60 patients at the clinic.
"This practice not only raises immense quality-of-care and safety concerns for hospital patients but also lends itself to possible fraudulent billing practices by these surgeons and by extension, the defendant," the complaint said.
Then, on Aug. 15, 2025, Dr. Yang wrote a letter to senior officials at Auburn Community Hospital alerting them of the incidents. Dr. Yang requested an investigation into the concerns of his staff members.
But the complaint claimed that on Aug. 18, Dr. Yang met with Orthopedic Surgeon Dr. Daniel Alexander, Dr. James Syrett, CMO, and Scott Berlucchi, President & Chief Executive Officer, to discuss the contents of his letter. In that meeting, it was decided that a full investigation into the matter would occur. It...
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