Hartford (Conn.) HealthCare is aiming to expand its ASC presence throughout the state but is facing setbacks from competitors and regulators, according to a March 20 report from the Hartford Business Journal. 

Lawmakers in Oklahoma are pushing for a bill that would allow nurse practitioners to prescribe certain medications without a supervising physician, KXII reported March 15. 

Meridian, Miss.-based physician Gregory Auzenne, MD, pleaded guilty to a federal charge in connection with a $1.5 billion nationwide pain cream fraud scheme, the Clarion Ledger reported March 20. 

The ASC at Hudson, Fla.-based Bonati Spine Institute has been shut down after the state suspended its license, the Tampa Bay Times reported March 17.

At the beginning of March, Julie Wittwer was named chief financial officer at Savannah, Ga.-based Optim Health System, providing services at its ASCs, outreach clinics and hospitals. 

Here are five physicians facing drug charges reported by Becker’s since March 6: