Former Patient Sticks Up For El Paso Doctor Convicted On Health Care Fraud Charges

People put their lives in doctors’ hands every day, so what if your doctor was convicted of health care fraud? Would you still trust him with your health? One patient’s answer may surprise you.

ABC-7 spoke exclusively with a former patient of Dr. Anthony Francis Valdez. Vadlez was recently convicted by a federal jury in connection with an estimated $41 million fraudulent health care benefit program billing scheme. That patient, Jesse Zamora, said he was shocked when he heard the news.

“You think right away that it couldn’t be him,” said Zamora. “His clinic was always full. Other doctors wouldn’t have the kind of clientele he did. He would see up to 60 patients a day, and people would want to come back.”

Zamora used to see Valdez twice a week for years to get shots for back pain. “His clinic used to be the only place I felt like I could get a little sanctuary,” said Zamora.

Valdez owns the Institute of Pain Management with clinics in El Paso and San Antonio. The El Paso clinic shut down after Valdez was indicted on federal charges. He was found guilty on 16 counts, including one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, six counts of health care fraud, six counts of making false statements related to health care matters and three counts of money laundering.

The feds say between 2005 and 2009, Zamora scammed Medicare, Medicaid and TRICARE out of millions of dollars in bogus claims for treatments he either didn’t perform or are not reimbursable.

Zamora is still in disbelief, suggesting the whole thing may have been a mix-up. “He maybe should have noticed it and done something about it, but I don’t think he did it intentionally. He was a very nice guy, very humble. He would lend people money if they needed it.”

Valdez faces more than 100 years in prison depending on the severity of his sentencing, which is scheduled for Nov. 18. Prosecutors also want to take away Valdez’s homes and cars.

ABC-7 dug deeper into the doctor’s past and found Valdez has been in trouble with the Texas Medical Board, too. One complaint alleges the doctor has a history of sloppy record-keeping and issuing ineffective or inadequate prescriptions. ABC-7 is still working on getting in touch with the Texas Medical Board to see whether the jury’s verdict will affect Valdez’s medical license.