From the CPI
The appointment of a new secretary of the Department of Health, Félix Rodríguez Schmidt, was carried out on the radar, as was the departure of Iris Cardona from this cargo, to become the director of the COVID-19 Vacation Program. The exchange appears to be one of the many in the Andamiaje de Salud that will be announced soon, anticipating the agency at the Center for Investigative Periodism (CPI).
In 2008, Rodríguez Schmidt, the CPI Director of the Medical Web Services – a single company that sells drugs and hosts a website from the website – confirmed a federal interest in an otros cinco drug for the sale of drugs. legitimate, must the judicial records.
La empresa Medical Web Services’s statement guilty del delito. Rodríguez Schmidt assured that, although the other doctors involved in the crime were declared guilty, he had not been convicted “because his cargoes were convicted”. According to the copy of the document sent to the CPI, the accusation is unjustified.
When the CPI asks the question whether it generates claims for the sale of these medicines indicated in the federal accusation, it says “I did not record this document, it is in my mind”. Later, the CPI insisted on Salud explaining a case file that indicated that the doctor paid $ 17,000 as part of the legal process, and the agency indicated:
“There is a civil complaint on the part of the state of Iowa in which, for reasons of convenience, the amount of $ 17,000 is agreed. This is a civil action and not criminal against Rodríguez Schmidt. And the legal definition of a transaction establishes that none of the parties accepts liability for the taxpayer ”.
The case in which Rodríguez Schmidt was accused of being a criminal, but was resolved as a civil case in the process of an agreement. The criminal indictment was contingent on Rodríguez Schmidt paying $ 17,000 in mediation for a Disqualification Agreement with Judgment that he signed on September 24, 2009 with the Federal Tax Office for the Northern Iowa District. The tax authorities reserve the right to prosecute if the agreement is not completed.
Under its supervision, during June 2002 and as early as May 2004, the medicines and pharmaceuticals were contracted by the licensing company and dispensed more than 175,700 prescriptions. Rodríguez Schmidt worked on the company from September 24, 2003 to December 7, 2003, according to the documents.
The pediatrician told the CPI that he did not approve the sale of medicines and added that being medical director does not approve of the company being sued.
When asked about her job as Medical Web Services Medical Director, Rodríguez Schmidt responded that he recruited and supervised employees of various United States states. “It was a very powerful dynamics”, added.
Following the accusation, clients register through some of the web sites affiliated with Medical Web Services and make medicines received while completing a health questionnaire and providing payment information. Los customers have no fixed obligation to provide a somer ninguna orden médica para comprar y no se verificaba su identidad. In the majority of cases, the physicians approve the medicines obtained without revising any medical record, following the accusatory duty.
Once the doctors approve the distribution of the drugs, Medical Web Services generates its company digitally. In this way, the contracted pharmacies download the electronic receipts, read the lots and send the controlled checks to the customers.
Mellado saca la cara por el nombramiento
“I was with you in the case that you did in 2008 was absolutely not accused of anything. Simply fue señalado y el lo aclaró ”, dijo Mellado al CPI. “The information you have, according to background check, there is no case at the federal level, ”he added.
The Secretary of Health reconciles with the questions of the CPI that “you can consider” Rodríguez Schmidt as his friend. The pediatrician also confirmed his love.
“Lo conozco hace mil años. It is known as medicine, in the personal plan, as health personnel and as pediatricians. […] If so, can I consider my friend, how can I? I know my professional plan ”, says Mellado.
Rodríguez Schmidt claims that he was interviewed by the Secretary of Health to discuss the responsibilities of the cargo and his transfer before occupying the ship.
Mantienen nombramiento por lo bajo
The agency has not publicly announced the mandate of the sub-secretariat, but has been in effect since January 4.
‘No no, he communicated. But what I was asked was he explained. There will soon be a press conference to change the spirit of Salud and it will be published everywhere, ”said Lisdián Acevedo, a spokeswoman for the Department of Health.
Cardona was launched in May 2020 by the secretary of Health at the administration, Lorenzo González. Salud commenced to refer to the pediatrician only as the director of the COVID-19 Vacation Program of the Department in January.
Although Mellado assured the CPI that Rodríguez Schmidt would start as co-secretary in January, at least until February 12, Gobierno will represent legal documents in an access case to the information that Cardona was the secretary.
On January 4, 2021, the Department of Health notified the staff personally of a memo that the Secretary of State Rodríguez Schmidt, together with the Secretary of the Administration, Johnny Colón González, was asked to compare and establish agreements, contracts and other documents ”.
I have had at least four contracts with the Government
Months before the federal accusation, Rodríguez Schmidt created the Bridges for Health Company, May 3, 2008, according to the State Department’s Register of Corporations. Two months later, I received a contract for $ 180,000 by offering “health services” to the Office of the Public Prosecutor.
Rodríguez Schmidt admitted to CPI that he created his company solely for administering his office. “I entered into a difficult situation in a very difficult situation. Habían imputes charges over robbery and malpractice of funds (which has been identified) by the Federal Department of Veterans Assistance ”, he said.
However, the contract that was obtained in the Office of the Public Prosecutor was canceled in 2009. The pediatrician argued that it had been dropped in the federal case of Medical Web Services and that it had been accused.
Although the plea bargain took place in August 2008, the contract was canceled in May 2009, nine months later, says Rodríguez Schmidt.
The pediatrician says that “it is not easy to find a company that manages the Office of the Public Prosecutor”.
“I did not like the situation. In addition, I am the pastor of one church and 20 things, and I do not want to be involved in this situation and we will decide to cancel it, “said Rodríguez Schmidt.
On the second day, the pediatrician asked the Veterinary Prosecutor’s Office to cancel the contract and obtained the fullness of the money in order not to exceed the services for the duration of the agreement.
The Bridges for Health corporation was canceled by the Department of State on April 16, 2014. According to the government agency, the company does not compile its annual bonds as documents or pay its annual quotes from 2009 until 2012.
Aún así, Rodríguez Schmidt siguió haciendo negocios en Puerto Rico.
Under the administration of Governor Luis Fortuño, the doctor received a contract in 2011, for less than one month, to burn “administrative consulting services” in the Department of Health for $ 11,000. The contract expires from May 12 to June 30, according to the Registry of Contracts of the Office of the Controller.
As of September 2012, in December 2012, Rodríguez Schmidt received a three-month contract with the Patient Prosecutor’s Office, for the $ 24,000 fee, for “health services”. Mellado fue Procurador del Paciente en ese period, nombrado por Fortuño.
During this period, from August 2012 to June 2013, the new Deputy Secretary of Health received another contract to offer “administrative consulting services” to the Department of Health for $ 66,000.
Rodríguez Schmidt is President of the Board of Directors of the University System Ana G. Méndez and has been the Medical Director of the Bayamón Correctional Medical Center for the past few years.
This note is published in Metro thanks to an alliance with the Center for Investigative Periodism. You can access the original AQUÍ version