Ex-Temple official indicted in $3 million scheme: Feds

A former top official at Temple University School of Medicine, accused of submitting $3 million in false claims, was charged today in a 144-count indictment with health care fraud and making false statements.

Dr. Joseph J. Kubacki was Chairman of Temple's Ophthalmology Department from 2002 to 2007 and also served as the assistant dean for medical affairs.

During that period, Kubacki claimed he treated eye patients at the hospital's main campus while he was actually Las Vegas, Florida and California, the indictment alleges.

Temple "severed its relationship" with Kubacki in November 2007 following an internal investigation prompted by "concerns about his conduct," said Temple spokesman Ray Betzner in a statement. Following Kubacki's dismissal the university reported its findings to the Department of Health and Human Services.

"Due to his abuse of alcohol, defendant Joseph J. Kubacki was unable to see and treat as many patients as he otherwise would have been able to see and treat," the indictment states. "By falsely inflating the total amount of his billings, Kubacki attempted to make himself appear more productive than he actually was as a practicing physician in Ophthamology Deparment."

Kubacki, who trained as a pediatric opthomalogist at Wills Eye Hospital, now works for Emerald Coast Eye Institute on the Florida Panhandle, according to the firm's website.