Asides

Understanding Pharmacy Fraud: Lessons from the Houston ACFE Lunch

The Houston Chapter of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners met last week to discuss medical fraud, particularly as it relates to pharmaceuticals. And with former LEAP Ambassador Bianca Saldierna on the Houston ACFE Board, LEAP students found themselves at the Tanglewood Ballroom alongside approximately 25 certified fraud examiners to discuss pill mills, pharmacy shopping, and the black market.

Following an introduction by Robert Rodgers, the Director of ACFE’s In-Person events…

…featured speaker Yasir Shakoor offered an interesting–and even entertaining–discussion of the diverse types of pharmacy fraud over lunch.

Mr. Shakoor has both a BA and an MHC in Health Care Administration, and he is also a Certified Fraud Examiner, and he was clearly qualified to discuss the different types of fraud.

Following a discussion of common myths and an emphasis on the costs associated with pharmacy fraud, Shakoor made a distinction among (1) fraud–falsely representing services rendered; (2) waste–not reasonably conserving resources; and (3) abuse–which may involve exploiting gray areas in laws or policies and, while perhaps not illegal, is unethical and costly.

The case studies were perhaps the most interesting component of the presentation.

Examples included (1) an individual who hacked into an e-prescription service and issued 18,500 prescriptions (in one day) to purchase sport cars, basketball tickets, and to be “entertained” at strip clubs, (2) a doctor who would offer opioids for the flimsiest of pretenses, and (3) underground organizations that offered substandard, black-market drugs (or, sometimes, just any substance available) in place of the specified medication. It is frightening, costly, and, often, deadly.

Apart from the educational aspects of the lunch, our major reason for attending was to see Bianca Saldierna.

A key LEAP Ambassador in 2016-2017, Ms. Saldierna has remained involved in her alumni years, and she generously invited us to attend this event. With many thanks to Bianca and to ACFE, we eagerly await our next such lunch!

Where Texas Rests: A Visit to the Texas State Cemetery

by Sarah-Hope Parohl

I visited the Texas State Cemetery in early February for the first time since I was in fourth grade. Growing up in Austin, I visited almost every historical site in town, but before I could absorb and make connections between the material I was learning at the site and the material I learned in classes.

Upon arriving at the Cemetery, I walked through the Visitor’s Center, reading about the lives of some of the folks buried there and seeing memorabilia to highlight them. There is also a short video in the Visitors Center that goes into detail about the history of the Cemetery, the recent restoration projects, and the geography of the grounds. The grounds, divided into sections, are so named to highlight the individual’s achievements. For example, Confederate Field is home to the headstones of Texas Confederate soldiers; Republic Hill is the resting place of Texas Revolutionaries, Justices, Legislators, Governors, and old Texas Legends; while Monument Hill is home to astronauts, District Judges, and Texas State Cemetery Committee members, to name a few.

The most fascinating aspect was, of course, the stories of individuals that the kind lady at the Visitor’s Center (who happened to be from Calgary, Canada!) shared with me. She informed me that the oldest individual buried in the Cemetery is not a Texan but a French explorer estimated to have died in the late 1600s in a shipwreck in the Gulf of Mexico. A delegation from Texas even reached out to French preservationists to see if they would like the remains back in his home country, but they let him rest in Texas. On the highest point of the Cemetery lay an astronaut, Eugene Cernan, the second American to walk in space.

The Texas State Cemetery is not just a collection of headstones; it’s a place of diverse and deeply meaningful memorials. These memorials pay tribute to those who can never return to Texas. There is a monument recognizing those who lost their lives in the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York and those who traveled to help New York rebuild. The monument contains two steel columns from Ground Zero, serving as a solemn reminder of the tragedy. There is a monument for Texans who have received the Medal of Honor, those who fought in the War of 1812, received a Purple Heart, fought in World War II, or Vietnam. Each of these monuments is a testament to the courage and sacrifice of these individuals. There is a monument that honors the African American legislators who served during the Reconstruction Era, a tribute to their contribution to Texas history.

While learning about others’ history, I was able to take a trip down memory lane. The only time I remember being at the Texas State Cemetery was for a guided tour that my Girl Scout Troop took in 2012. I do not remember much from that trip, but I have always remembered the story of Josiah Wilbarger.

Wilbarger is one of the few to survive scalping after Native Americans ambushed him and some others. His friends, thinking he was dead, rode away, and the only reason Wilbarger survived with an untreated open wound was because blowflies laid eggs in his wound, and once the maggots hatched, they ate away the infection. While he survived, he never truly recovered from his wound, so his wife made him a raccoon skin hat to protect his skull and brain. Wilbarger died over a decade after his scalping when he hit his head on his workbench without wearing the hat his wife made him. I do not remember much from my fourth-grade trip, but I remember the tour guide saying, “This is why wives are always right” after finishing the tale of Josiah Wilbarger. 

The Bizarre Tale of Treaty Oak’s Poisoning in Austin

Makenna McDaniel

They say “Keep Austin Weird” but nothing is more bizarre than the story of Treaty Oak. Back in the 1980s, there was an attempted murder that took place. Of a person? Even worse, it is the perfect specimen ever to exist. Treaty Oak. 

Treaty Oak, an over 500-year-old tree, is a historic site in Austin, Texas. In 1927, the American Forestry Association named Treaty Oak the most perfect specimen in North America. A tree so perfect that people from around the United States have to visit it whenever they come to Austin.\

Pictured: Treaty Oak, 1941. (Courtesy of the Austin Public Library)

In 1989, a ghastly sight was seen: dead grass surrounding Austin’s beloved tree. John Giedraitis, Austin’s first city forester, was hosting several state foresters from across the United States when he came upon this frightening sight. While leading a tour of the multiple parks in Austin, Giedraitis proudly took them to Treaty Oak. Upon first glance, the foresters noticed that something alarming was at the roots of Treaty Oak, dead grass. Indicating a problem, after months of further tree deterioration, Giedraitis decided to open a full investigation to save the tree. Giedraitis took samples and sent them to the lab for a test. The results were quick but did not contain happy news… Treaty Oak was being poisoned!

Pictured: ‘Murder Mystery Grips City: Just Who Would Kill a Tree?’ on the front page of The New York Times, 1989.

The poisoning seemed to him as intentional, but who could do such a thing? That is a question that Giedraitis would not rest until he got to the bottom of. Austinites were not the only ones invested in this criminal case but the world. Magazines and news stations started to cover the story. One day, after hearing about the tragedy, H. Ross Perot, a billionaire based in Texas, reached out and offered to pay for the expenses of the investigation. Giedraitis and his foresters began to call every scientist they knew; the local police department took up the case; it was a city-wide effort. In the meantime, several treatments were given to Treaty Oak to save its life.

John Jones, a new detective in the Austin City Police Department, thought this case was a joke but soon found out it was anything but. The Austin Forestry Service offered a $11,000 reward to anyone who knew the culprit.

The news spread so fast that people from all over the world started to call, claiming to know something. No one had any helpful information about the case until Cindy Blanco came forward. Blanco would often ride to a local methadone clinic with a man named Paul Stedman Cullen. Blanco recalled an odd conversation with Cullen, who admitted his love for his counselor, but the love was unrequited. Cullen performed rituals and believed that killing the largest thing would also kill his passion for his counselor. Jones got a search warrant after an incriminating audio recording. Cullen’s home was soon investigated, and a trial began. He was ultimately found guilty and sentenced to 9 years for criminal mischief. Treaty Oak was safe at last!

Exploring O’Henry’s Home: A Trip Through Literary History

This past month, I toured the O’Henry Home. Upon entering, I was greeted by Spike Gillespie, a kind and knowledgeable staff member from the City of Austin’s Museums and Cultural Programs. She shared key details about William Sydney Porter’s life, explaining that he lived in this house from 1884 to 1894 before fleeing to Honduras due to corruption allegations at his workplace, the First National Bank of Austin. A few years later, he returned to the U.S. under an alias—O’Henry—the pen name that would bring him literary fame.

The small home consists of three main rooms: the living room…

…the bedroom…

…and O. Henry’s office.

As I walked through, I enjoyed learning fascinating tidbits about his life and work. His experience drafting maps at the General Land Office in Austin resonated with me, as I’ve encountered the GLO while assisting the Land and Resource Committee in my office.

Although modern technology has replaced hand-drawn maps, I appreciated the small connection I felt while standing in O’Henry’s office.

As I continued walking through the home, I found myself amused with framed sketches located right outside O’Henry’s office. Later, Spike informed me that during his lifetime, O’Henry became a self-taught artist, focusing largely on political cartoons, which were featured in The Rolling Stone magazine. Most of his artwork throughout the home feature a mixture of political cartoons and the life of American settlers.

Spike also shared insights into how his time in Austin shaped his storytelling. Many of his short stories reflect themes of redemption, irony, and human nature, qualities that may have been influenced by his own struggles. His most famous work, “The Gift of the Magi,” showcases his signature twist endings, a style that would make him one of the most celebrated short story writers in American literature.

Beyond his literary contributions, O’Henry’s influence on Austin is still evident. His home, now preserved as a museum, serves as a reminder of the city’s rich cultural history.

Creative writing workshops hosted by individuals like Spike encourage Austinites to expand their writing skills and explore writing techniques utilized by famous writers such as O’Henry.

Visiting the O’ Henry Home provided me with insight that was much greater than a historical tour, it was a glimpse into the life of a man who turned adversities into art, which brought people together. His legacy lives on not only in his stories but also in the continued appreciation of his wit and literary style.