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Mountain Views News Saturday, July 27, 2024

Pasadena 
Doctor Guilty 
of Medicare 
Billing Fraud

Pasadena Voters Could Decide on Term 
Limits for Mayor, City Council Members

Arroyo Seco Golf Course to 
Hold Community Meeting

 
A Ventura County 
physician who worked for 
two Pasadena hospices 
pleaded guilty Wednesday 
to defrauding Medicare out 
of more than $3 million 
by billing the public health 
insurance program for 
medically unnecessary 
hospice services.

 Dr. Victor Contreras, 68, of 
Santa Paula, pleaded guilty 
to one count of health care 
fraud.

 According to the 
Department of Justice 
(DOJ) officials, from 
July 2016 to February 
2019, Contreras and co-
defendant Juanita Antenor, 
61, formerly of Pasadena, 
schemed to defraud 
Medicare by submitting 
nearly $4 million in false 
and fraudulent claims for 
hospice services submitted 
by two hospice companies: 
Arcadia Hospice Provider 
Inc., and Saint Mariam 
Hospice Inc. Antenor 
controlled both companies.

 Medicare only covers 
hospice services for 
patients who are terminally 
ill, meaning that they have 
a life expectancy of six 
months or less if their illness 
ran its normal course.

 Contreras falsely stated on 
claims forms that patients 
had terminal illnesses to 
make them eligible for 
hospice services covered 
by Medicare, typically 
adopting diagnoses 
provided to him by hospice 
employees whether or not 
they were true. Contreras 
did so even though he was 
not the patients’ primary 
care physician and had not 
spoken to those primary 
care physicians about 
the patients’ conditions. 
Medicare paid on the 
claims supported by 
Contreras’ false evaluations 
and certifications and 
recertifications of patients.

 In total, approximately 
$3,917,946 in fraudulently 
claims were submitted to 
Medicare, of which a total of 
approximately $3,289,889 
was paid DOJ officials said.

 According to Medical 
Board of California records, 
Contreras is a licensed 
physician in California, but 
has been on probation with 
the Board since 2015 and is 
subject to limitations on his 
practice. 

 United States District 
Judge André Birotte Jr. 
scheduled an October 
25 sentencing hearing, at 
which time Contreras will 
face a statutory maximum 
sentence of 10 years in 
federal prison.

 Antenor remains at large. 
Co-defendant Callie Black, 
65, of Lancaster, who 
allegedly recruited patients 
for the hospice companies 
in exchange for illegal 
kickbacks, has pleaded not 
guilty and is scheduled to 
go on trial on October 15.

 

 The City of South Pasadena 
Community Services 
Department is inviting the 
community to attend the 
Arroyo Seco Golf Course 
facility planning open 
house and participate in an 
important survey designed 
to gather valuable input and 
feedback. The meeting is 
scheduled for Wednesday, 
August 7. There will be a 
5:00 p.m. meeting scheduled 
for golfers, and a 7:00 p.m. 
meeting scheduled for the 
public.

 According to city staff, the 
facility planning open house 
is an opportunity to have a 
discussion on the future of 
the golf course and gather 
the community’s insights 
and opinions through a 
comprehensive survey. The 
community’s participation 
is crucial to ensure that 
our initiatives align with 
the community’s needs 
and aspirations through a 
collective vision. 

 “We are seeking valuable 
input from the community 
and asking everyone to 
take a survey,” officials 
said. “Surveys are available 
at: southpasadenaca.gov/
ASGCOpenHouse.”

 For more information, please 
contact the Community 
Services Department at (626) 
403-7380

 The Pasadena City Council 
is set to vote Monday night, 
during a special meeting, 
calling for a city election 
and to submit three charter 
amendment ballot measures 
to voters November 5 that 
would, among other things, 
establish term limits for the 
Mayor and term limits for 
Council District seats.

 City Councilmembers, 
at their July 8 meetings, 
approved recommended 
ballot measures for Mayor 
and Councilmember term 
limits, their Organizational 
Meeting to occur annually in 
December, create an Acting 
Mayor position and special 
elections to fill Council 
District vacancies. 

 Beginning January ,1a ballot 
measure, if adopted, would 
set term limits for the Mayor’s 
seat for no more than three 
consecutive terms in office. 
Two additional terms would 
be allowed after at least a 
four-year hiatus from the 
Mayor’s Office but no more 
than five total terms allowed 
in the elected office. Partial 
elected term of two-years 
counts towards one term of 
office. 

 City Councilmember term 
limits would be set the same 
as the Mayor.

 Another ballot measure, 
if adopted, would require 
special elections to fill 
Council District vacancies if 
two or more years remain on 
an unexpired term, or if the 
City Council fails to appoint 
a replacement to fill an 
unexpired term of less than 
two years within 75 days of 
the vacancy being declared, 
to establish a 30-day city 
residency requirement for 
appointed office and to make 
other administrative changes, 
including those relating to 
Campaign Contribution 
Limits.

 The third ballot measure, 
if adopted, requires the 
Organizational Meeting of 
the City Council to occur 
annually in December, the 
Vice Mayor’s election to occur 
annually at the Organizational 
Meeting for a term of one 
year; and creating an Acting 
Mayor position to serve in the 
Mayor’s role in the event of a 
Mayoral vacancy, with the 
Acting Mayor to be chosen 
from among the remaining 
members of the City Council.

 The General Municipal 
Election in Pasadena would 
consolidate with the Statewide 
General Election on Nov. 5. 

 The council will also vote 
Monday to provide for the 
filing of written arguments 
for the measures and direct 
the City Attorney to prepare 
an impartial analysis of the 
measures and authorize the 
filing of rebuttal arguments.

 The city council meets at 4 
p.m. at Pasadena City Hall, 
Council Chamber 100 North 
Garfield Avenue, Room S249.

Pasadena Senior Center 
Free Summer Concerts

 The Pasadena Senior Center, 85 E. Holly St., will host live 
summer entertainment for members and nonmembers of all 
ages Mondays, Aug. 14 to Sept. 4 from 5 to 7 p.m.

 Three of the four free concerts will be performed on the 
center’s spacious, tree-shaded patio; the fourth, a Labor Day 
event, will be in the Scott Pavilion. Each concert date will 
feature two sets by the same musical groups: the first at 5 
p.m. and the second at 6 p.m. Come for one or stay for both. 
Get up on your feet or simply sway in your chair or tap your 
toes to the music.

 The series will showcase a variety of professional musical 
groups with styles that range from jazz to big band to R&B 
and more. Bring your own snacks, beverages and/or a picnic 
dinner for the perfect summer experience with family 
and friends of all ages. Neither residency in Pasadena nor 
membership in the Pasadena Senior Center are required.

· Monday, Aug. 14: Dad’s Band Plus One will play festive and 
traditional Dixieland jazz.

· Monday, Aug. 21: JazzZone will put on a show of classic 
jazz, funk and R&B.

· Monday, Aug. 28: The Susie Hansen Latin Band will 
perform fiery Salsa.

· Monday, Sept. 4: The Great American Swing Band will 
deliver a Labor Day concert that will feature music from the 
big band era and beyond.

 Reservations are not required for the concerts, which are 
sponsored by the Cynthia Rosedale Fund for Seniors.and 
the Pasadena Showcase House for the Arts. Seating will be 
available on a first-come, first served basis.

 For more information, visit www.pasadenaseniorcenter.org 
and click on Activities and Events, then Special Events or 
call 626-795-4331.

 As a donor-supported nonprofit, the center operates 
without any local, state or federal funding and provides more 
services to older adults than any other organization in the 
San Gabriel Valley. Hours of operation are Monday through 
Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. 
to noon. To learn more visit www.pasadenaseniorcenter.org 
or call 626-794-4331.

Director of 
Public Works 
Recruitment

 City Manager Miguel 
Márquez announced 
Thursday the initiation of 
the recruitment for the next 
Director of Public Works. 
The application process 
for this position is slated 
to begin in August with 
screenings and interviews 
taking place in September 
and October he said.

 “The public is encouraged 
to attend a virtual meeting 
to provide input about the 
most important qualities 
that potential candidates 
should have,” Márquez said. 

 The executive search firm 
of Peckham and McKenney 
will facilitate the executive 
search and the virtual 
public forum.

 “Community input 
is incredibly valuable 
in appointing the best 
individual to lead the 
Department,” Márquez said. 
“I encourage all members 
of the community to attend 
the upcoming forum and 
share their thoughts on 
the characteristics and 
professional background 
they feel would be most 
important in the new 
director.”

 The community forum 
will take place on Zoom on 
the following date and time: 
Monday, August 5, 2024, at 
6:00 p.m.

For Meeting information 
visit: cityofpasadena.net/
city-manager/news.

 Anyone who would like 
to offer input but cannot 
attend the meeting can do 
so online at Bit.ly/Pasadena 
PWDirectorSurvey

Cultural Thursday Held at 
the Pasadena Senior Center

 


 James Fishburne (pictured), 
director of the Forest Lawn 
Museum, will lead a virtual 
gallery tour of the current 
exhibit Filipino California: 
Art and the Filipino Diaspora 
on Thursday, Aug. 15, at 2 
p.m. via Zoom, presented by 
the Pasadena Senior Center.

 The exhibit showcases the 
works of seven contemporary 
artists who use various 
styles and formats, including 
paintings, drawings, sculpture 
and more. The artists -- 
Eliseo Art Silva, Allison 
Hueman, Anthony Francisco, 
Maryrose Cobarrubias 
Mendoza, Christine 
Morla, Maria Villote, and 
Junn Roca — directly and 
indirectly address issues 
related to Filipino culture 
and the Filipino American 
experience.

 In 2014 Fishburne earned his 
PhD in Italian Renaissance 
art history from UCLA. 
He has taught courses on 
ancient Roman, Renaissance 
and Baroque art history at 
UCLA, Pierce College, Valley 
College and California State 
University, Long Beach. From 
2015 to 2018 he worked at 
the Getty Research Institute 
where he developed and 
implemented programming 
for the Scholars Department. 
He joined Forest Lawn 
Museum in 2018 and has 
curated multiple exhibits. 
He has led virtual gallery 
tours for the Pasadena Senior 
Center since 2021.

 This Zoom event is free for 
members of the Pasadena 
Senior Center and only $5 
for nonmembers. Everyone 
who registers will receive 
a Zoom link to the virtual 
tour. To register or for more 
information, visit: 

 pasadenaseniorcenter.org 
and click on Activities & 
Events, then Special Events 
or call 626-795-4311.

 Filipino California: 
Art and the Filipino 
Diaspora


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