2023 Board Resources

The settlement agreement was executed on April 10, 2018. Banner paid $18.3M to the DOJ as well as $144K for Ms. Guardiola’s attorneys’ fees and expenses. The DOJ agreed to pay Ms. Guardiola 18% of the settlement amount, or $3.294M. In addition, as part of the settlement, Banner was required to enter into a Corporate Integrity Agreement (CIA) with the OIG, which was executed on April 9, 2018. For comparison purposes, it is worth noting that Community Health Systems settled a short-stay case in July 2014 for $98.15M and Dignity Health settled a short-stay case in October 2014 for $37M. Both have five-year Corporate Integrity Agreements. Ms. Cecilia Guardiola, Relator Ms. Guardiola has an associate degree in nursing as well as a law degree. She worked for Banner as an RN Clinical Documentation Director from October 8, 2012 to December 7, 2012 (60 days). She left without notice, submitting her resignation on Friday, December 7, 2012, effective immediately. Ms. Guardiola began discussing this complaint with her attorney on Monday, December 10, 2012. The Qui Tam against Banner was her third short-stay whistleblower case against a former employer, and the attorney representing her in each case (including the one against Banner) was Mitchell Kreindler. Before Banner, Ms. Guardiola worked for Christus Spohn Shoreline Hospital (Corpus Christi TX) from 2005 to 2007. After leaving, she filed a short-stay Qui Tam against Christus Spohn in 2008, which was settled in June of 2012 for $5.1M. Ms. Guardiola also worked for Renown Regional Medical Center (Reno NV) from 2009 to 2012. After leaving there she filed a short-stay Qui Tam in 2012, settling the matter in July of 2016 for $9.5M.