Crittenton Hospital changes policy; provides Fata records for free

Dr. Farid Fata faces health care fraud charge; patients, families now left with mess of questions

Just days after the group 'Patients and Families Treated by Dr. Fata' picketed Crittenton Hospital Saturday in protest of being charged for copies of their medical records, the hospital has changed its policy and will provide them to families free of charge.

The hospital released the following statement Tuesday:

Medical records contain protected, private information, and as a healthcare organization, it is our responsibility to maintain privacy and security of records in all formats, including electronic. We are now prepared to provide copies of medical records in a HIPPA compliant, electronic format, free of charge. We have begun contacting all requestors of medical records, involved with Dr. Fata, and are making arrangements with those individuals to prepare the records in a quick, efficient manner.

According to court documents, Fata -- who is being held on a $9 million bond -- has an Oct. 18 trial date.  He has until the beginning of that month to enter a plea.

The government says Fata ripped off Medicare for millions of dollars by giving chemotherapy to patients who didn't need it and diagnosing cancer when the illness wasn't apparent.

View: Federal grand jury indictment against Fata

Fata owns and operates Michigan Hematology Oncology Centers (MHO) which has offices in Clarkston, Bloomfield Hills, Lapeer, Sterling Heights, Troy and Oak Park.

Doctors and nurses who worked with Fata told federal agents Fata often gave patients doses of medication they didn't need at toxic levels, treated them in office settings as opposed to hospitals and had what is referred to as "interns" or foreign doctors treat a high number of patients.

Dr. Farid Fata court date documents