JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Members of the Duval DOGE Special Committee are set to take a deep dive and possibly launch an investigation into questions surrounding the city’s Telehealth provider Telescope Health.
A subcommittee of the Duval DOGE Special Committee will soon be convened and tasked with looking into whether a cheaper provider exists, whether there are conflicts of interest at play, and whether there may be Medicare or Medicaid fraud happening.
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Councilmember Rory Diamond (R-District 13), who raised the questions, said he’s concerned about possible conflicts of interest between Telescope, Baptist Health, JFRD’s Medical Director, and Emergency Resources Group, the company contracted to staff Baptist Health’s Emergency Room, which is also Telescope’s parent company.
“I just want to get to the bottom of it. I would like to look at call referral protocols, call referral volume, and whether or not all of this is adding up,” said Diamond.
They’re allegations patently denied by Telescope’s CEO, Dr. Matthew Thompson, who noted Telescope can’t even charge Medicare or Medicaid.
“Our reputation has been at stake here. And I want to be unequivocally clear. We are not a fraudulent company. We take great pride in what we do,” said Thompson.
While Diamond has claimed his goal is to ensure tax dollars are being spent responsibly and legally, Thompson has suggested another possible motivation for the interest in Telescope, which is set to receive $1.5 million from the city this year.
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An email obtained by Action News Jax between sent to Thompson by Duval DOGE Committee Chair Ron Salem (R-Group 2 At-Large) in 2023, shows Salem approached Telescope, soliciting “some type of financial relationship” to help the company “target nursing homes, jails and similar facilities”.
In an email sent to the Southern Group lobbying firm, Thompson argued Salem should recuse himself, as ever since Salem’s offer was turned down by Telescope, “his tune has changed”.
We asked Salem about that accusation on Monday.
“That’s what this administration does, Jake. When they get into a problem, they point the finger at everyone else. Ron Salem or someone else, and that’s what’s going on here,” said Salem.
According to Council President Kevin Carrico (R-District 4), the subcommittee will start looking into the tips Diamond has received about the city’s Telehealth program in the coming weeks.
If there’s no cooperation, he indicated he may convene a Special Investigatory Committee that would have subpoena power and the ability to compel testimony under oath.
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