PROTEST IN A SMALL KANSAS TOWN

I'm going to try and run stories of just regular folks and what they are pissed off about and what they might be trying to do about their concerns.

Community Care Connections in Winfield, Kansas provide home and community based services to the frail elderly, the physically dependent and private clients. The company is a division of Medicalodges Inc.

It is the subject of a small town protest with allegations of, "Medicaid fraud, sexual harassment, fraternization and wrongful terminations."

Most of the time working people just put up with all this stuff because they know there is really nothing they can do about them and because retaliation can be expected.

This time maybe its a little different. Someone is determined to make their complaints public.

Will it make a difference? I'd like to say I think so, but...we'll let's see what the Kansas Attorney General, a Democrat, does?

The following story is from the Winfield Daily Courier (Kansas).

Protest staged in front of Main Street business
By TYLER GASKILL

A Winfield woman leading an effort to expose alleged fraud at a local company picketed outside the business Monday afternoon, hoping to raise awareness of the situation.

Georgia Wilson (see picture) is a former employee of Community Care Connections, a division of Medicalodges Inc., based in Coffeyville.

Wilson, along with three other former employees of the company, stood outside the business, located at 908 Main, handing out fliers claiming she has "evidence of Medicaid fraud, sexual harassment, fraternization and wrongful terminations."

The flier also states that the evidence and information pertaining to the crimes committed have been turned over to the company's corporate office in Coffeyville.

According to Wilson, she provided evidence of fraud to local company officials on June 9 and then later to the home office.

"A month later, a chain of events happened, and I realized they were covering their tracks, and that's when I went to Coffeyville," Wilson said.

Angie Best, agency director for the Winfield office, was contacted by a Courier reporter over the telephone Monday, and stated she was told by the home office not to comment on the matter.

Garen Cox, president and CEO of Medicalodges Inc., was unable to provide details on the information given to his office by Wilson, but he stated he was aware of the matter.

"This all came about so fast and so sudden," Cox said.

"We were unaware of the allegations until recently, and we haven't had a chance to look into them yet."

According to Wilson, she contacted the home office prior to picketing Monday afternoon.

"They requested me not to do the picket and that their investigation could take anywhere from three days to three weeks to three months," Wilson said.

Evidence has been given to the Medicaid Fraud and Abuse Unit of the Kansas Attorney General's Office, Wilson said, but the office was unable to confirm an active case on the matter as of press time.

Wilson is hopeful the problems facing the company can be cleared up without closing the office.

"It's a wonderful program, and I'd like to see it there for a long time, just ran right," Wilson said.