If the Walls Could Talk Podcast™ – Episode 5: “Something We Had to Do” 

Paranoia spread throughout Edgewater Hospital that the FBI had bugged administrators’ phones and offices. Episode 5: “Something We Had to Do” shares the numerous meetings and how they “silently” communicated the details of the ongoing insurance fraud scheme. One such meeting happened between Peter Rogan and Roger Ehmen in a steam room at a fancy Chicago hotel. Hear what Peter allegedly promised Roger…if he agreed to take the fall.

Despite stories of rampant insurance fraud and doctors performing unnecessary medical procedures, state regulators and even Edgewater Hospital’s Board never intervened. Hear about the swanky place they conducted these meetings and how a fist fight almost happened during one of those board meetings. 

Peter Rogan and his management company were fired a day before the feds finally dropped a 58-count indictment. Despite that, Peter still owned some of the hospital property and continued to make trips there.

After some damning information came to light, the FBI’s investigation came to a screeching halt. Heated meetings between the US Attorney’s Office, local politicians and the feds ensued. But it was a decision at the federal level that sealed Edgewater Hospital’s fate.

In late-2001, Medicare cut off payments to Edgewater and then a deal to save the hospital crumbled. Just before Edgewater Hospital ran out of cash, it closed its doors.

Episode 5: “Something We Had to Do” features employees describing the incredible anger, confusion and sadness they felt on that final day as they feverishly worked to transfer out all of the remaining patients. One EMT described the scene as “something I’ll never get out of my mind.”

After the doors were locked for the final time, an eerie number of people were now out of work. And the hospital buildings? They were left to sit and rot. Offices sat idle with computers on the desks, personal items pinned to the wall and food remaining in the fridge. Thousands of personal medical records, supplies and equipment were all left behind in the buildings. Someone described the scene as looking “like it was out of an apocalyptic movie.“

The neighbors all questioned: what will become of this hulking hospital campus tucked within their residential Chicago neighborhood? Meanwhile the US Attorney’s Office then grappled with who to hold responsible for the mess. Would Peter Rogan get away with it? Hear the heartbreaking story in Episode 5: “Something We Had to Do” — the latest episode of If the Walls Could Talk Podcast™.

If the Walls Could Talk Podcast™

Support If the Walls Could Talk Podcast™ on PATREON and unlock hours of bonus content and behind-the-scenes stories — including this week’s “Second Opinion” episode.

Todd and Stephani detail the one interview that ended with all three of them in tears. They’ll share what happened on that Zoom call and why the interview almost never aired.

Edgewater’s Human Resources Director discusses the time she had to investigate some suspicious activity in the hospital’s morgue. She’ll share that eerie story and a few others in our “Cut for Time” segment.

Many hospital employees believed Edgewater was going to be saved at the last minute. We’ll describe who was supposed to buy the hospital and why the deal ultimately fell apart.

Journalist Bruce Japsen wrote about the Edgewater Hospital saga and also co-authored this article about the Joint Commission accreditation process. Hear how the oversight agencies failed to keep the fraud and corruption out of the hospital.

Gain access hours of bonus stories, interviews and behind-the-scenes content by supporting If the Walls Could Talk Podcast™ on Patreon.

The entire series of If the Walls Could Talk Podcast™ is now available. Another way to support the show is to leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. A 5-star rating goes a long way in helping others find the show.