Philadelphia, Meet the Strike Force

A big announcement. A longer enforcement runway.

Nineteen defendants. Alleged home care fraud. Plenty of officials at the podium. But the bigger story is what happens after the cameras leave.

Paul Werner examines the healthcare fraud strike force’s expansion into Philadelphia and what sustained investigative attention could mean for providers throughout the region. He also looks at the uncomfortable space between billing mistakes, compliance failures and criminal allegations, where the details matter considerably more than the headlines.

If your compliance program hasn’t had a serious stress test lately, this is a good reason to move it up the list.

View the entire Fraud Files playlist on YouTube!

Join Almost Clinical hosts Vincent Buttaci, John Leardi, and Paul Werner as they challenge each other’s views on how to operate, invest, and succeed in healthcare’s rapidly shifting landscape, translate legalese into business sense for healthcare providers, executives, private equity professionals, and strategic stakeholders, and explore the issues shaping the business of medicine today and tomorrow.

There are very few people Vincent Buttaci admits to being afraid of. Healthcare lobbyist Laurie Clark is one of them.

In this episode of Almost Clinical, hosts Vincent, John Leardi, and Paul Werner sit down with one of New Jersey's most respected healthcare advocates for a conversation that spans decades of legislative battles, regulatory challenges, pharmacy reform efforts, and hard-earned lessons about influence, negotiation, and playing the long game.

A longtime advocate for physicians, pharmacists, healthcare organizations, and professional associations, Laurie offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at how policy actually gets made – and why getting things done often requires far more relationship-building than headline-grabbing victories.

Along the way, the group revisits the legislative fight that first put Laurie and Vin on opposite sides of the table, explores the evolution of pharmacy benefit manager reform in New Jersey, discusses the realities of working with regulators and administrative agencies, and explains why some of the most important victories in healthcare happen long before anyone walks into a courtroom.

Other highlights include:

• How Laurie built one of New Jersey's leading independent healthcare lobbying practices
• Why the best advocates focus on solving problems, not just winning arguments
• The legislative battle that transformed Laurie and Vin from adversaries into collaborators
• What healthcare providers need to understand about building influence with legislators and regulators
• Lessons learned from years of fighting for independent pharmacies and pharmacy benefit manager reform
• Why professional associations remain one of the most effective tools for driving change
• The importance of credibility, transparency, and keeping communication lines open, even during difficult negotiations
• Why playing the long game almost always beats chasing a quick win

BONUS: Stay until the end to hear Laurie explain why, despite wanting to "kill" Vin during one legislative battle, she ultimately ended up hiring his firm.

Produced by Buttaci, Leardi & Werner, this episode is a reminder that influence isn't about being the loudest person in the room. It's about showing up, building trust, and staying at the table long enough to make progress.

Join Almost Clinical hosts Vincent Buttaci, John Leardi, and Paul Werner as they challenge each other’s views on how to operate, invest, and succeed in healthcare’s rapidly shifting landscape, translate legalese into business sense for healthcare providers, executives, private equity professionals, and strategic stakeholders, and explore the issues shaping the business of medicine today and tomorrow.

New Jersey’s new Integrated Healthcare Facility regulations are here — and they fundamentally change how outpatient healthcare services can be delivered across the state.

In this episode of Almost Clinical, hosts Vincent Buttaci, John Leardi, and Paul Werner unpack what may be the most significant behavioral healthcare licensing reform New Jersey has seen in the last 20 years.

The guys discuss:

• The collapse of the old fragmented licensing structure
• What integrated healthcare actually means under the new regulations
• The practical impact on behavioral health operators
• New staffing, supervision, and compliance obligations
• How the state is reshaping outpatient substance use disorder and mental health treatment
• Why physical therapy, primary care, and behavioral health may finally operate under one coordinated system
• The operational and reimbursement challenges providers should expect next

The hosts also explore the broader policy implications of the new rules, including harm reduction, relapse management, whole-person treatment, and the increasing expectation that behavioral health providers operate with the same sophistication and compliance infrastructure as traditional healthcare systems.

If you own, operate, advise, or invest in healthcare facilities in New Jersey, this episode is essential listening.

Powered by Buttaci, Leardi & Werner.

Join Almost Clinical hosts Vincent Buttaci, John Leardi, and Paul Werner as they challenge each other’s views on how to operate, invest, and succeed in healthcare’s rapidly shifting landscape, translate legalese into business sense for healthcare providers, executives, private equity professionals, and strategic stakeholders, and explore the issues shaping the business of medicine today and tomorrow.