PAHRUMP, Nevada (STPNS) -- For over a year The Mirror has been following the

story of doctor Pejman Bady and his involvement

in the takeover of nearly every Pahrump medical

practice by medical giant HealthCare Partners. During

the ongoing investigation, it has been discovered that

Bady may have stretched the truth in first addressing

the Nye County Commission last summer concerning

his intentions and the overall timeline of his deal with

HealthCare Partners.

On July 13 of 2010, Bady went before the commission



to finalize an agreement to lease the building that was

housing his Advanced Medical practice. The building

was and is currently owned by taxpayers, leaving

the commission to set a lease rate. After months of

a back and forth haggle between the two entities,

Bady begrudgingly accepted the lease rate which fell

below market value for the building. During the July

13 meeting, Nye County Commissioner Joni Eastley

inquired as to rumors she had heard that Bady was

considering selling his practice. The commissioner

asked direct questions and inquired as to what would

become of the lease should the practice change hands

or undergo a name change. However, Bady assured

the commission that he was not selling his practice and

had simply been approached by a company. Eastley

also questioned the rushed nature of the negotiations

between Bady and the county, citing the existing

lease’s expiration date of November 2010. Bady

noted the complicated process of conferring with

attorneys and the county for his premature request to

the commission. The board approved the lease with

three of the five commissioners on the board being

treated by Bady at the time of the vote.

Just 21 days after obtaining an approved lease

rate, Bady again appeared before the commission,

accompanied by two HealthCare Partners

representatives, requesting that the company be

permitted to sublease 90 percent of the building. The

request elicited outrage from Eastley who said she felt

“fraudulently induced” into signing the original lease

renewal, saying, “I asked specific questions during

that agenda item and, while I may not have hit the

bull’s eye I came damn close in my opinion. I wanted

to know what would happen to this lease agreement

if this business was sold and essentially, if you’re

subleasing 15,000 square feet of a 16,000 square foot

building, you can call it anything you want, but that’s

essentially giving away the business.” Bady again told

the commission that he was not selling his practice but

instead attempting to offer the best quality healthcare

and health plans to the residents of Pahrump. The

commission voted 4-1 to allow the sublease with

Eastley casting the sole vote against the motion.

It was revealed by The Mirror that on March 3,

2011 patients calling Advanced Medical were being

greeted by a HealthCare Partners receptionist. The

name change did not surprise newly elected Nye

County District Attorney Brian Kunzi who later told

The Mirror, “For a member of the board to argue he

or she thought Dr. Bady would continue to operate

his full practice at the PMC when they allowed him

to give up 90 percent of the lease would lack any

credibility... I wish there was something to be done.

The commissioners like to use me for cover as if I

can control them. I really do not have any ability to

control them. I advise them of consequences and they

must decide. Given the history of the PMC I would

have told them the sublease was passing control of the

center to the new group. Any representations to the

contrary would be a joke. I think you should reach out

to Ron Kent and ask him whether he recognized what

would be the legal affect of this action. As a resident

myself I want to know what our brain trust at the time

was thinking or if that was the actual plan at the time

to let Dr. Bady transfer the center while maintaining

the appearance otherwise. The interest should be

on Ron Kent and whether he was either inept or

participated in the rouse.” Kunzi later reaffirmed the

fact that he could not act without instruction from the

commission.

Trouble continued to follow the sublease approval

Bady may be in hot water over sublease

Inconsistencies emerge in doctor’s story

with Senior Dimensions announcing that its clients

would no longer be able to use their insurance at

HealthCare Partners facilities. The decision, according

to CEO Don Giancursio was a direct result of Bady

and several local other doctors selling their practices

to HealthCare Partners.

More recently, HealthCare Partners CEO Dr. Sherif

Abdou noted on the record in a local publication that

it was his company that was approached by Bady.

Further, the company previously informed The Mirror

that it had purchased the assets of Advanced Medical

in 2010. The revelation flew in the face of Bady’s

statement to the commission last summer wherein

he stated he had been contacted by a company and

had no intention of giving up control of his practice.

Additionally, when contacted by The Mirror concerning

questions surrounding the deal from the community

and commissioners concerning when negotiations

between the parties began, Abdou stated, “I have not

been contacted by any county commissioner asking

for more information about this transaction. If any

members of the commission have questions about Dr.

Bady’s negotiations with HealthCare Partners, I am

happy to discuss it with them.”

Despite numerous attempts by The Mirror to obtain

the commencement date of negotiations, HealthCare

Partners instead, continuously directed attention to

Abdou’s statement and refused to release the date

to The Mirror. It was Eastley who noted during the

August 3, 2010 meeting that she believed negotiations

were well underway before Bady appeared before the

commission, allegedly misleading the board about

his intentions to sell his practice. However, being

the only commissioner to vote against the sublease,

Eastley is unable to bring the matter back before the

commission. Only a commissioner who voted in favor

of the sublease can request that the board revisit the

agreement. At the time of the vote, chairman Gary

Hollis and commissioners Andrew “Butch” Borasky

were being treated by Bady. Commissioner Fely

Quitevis no longer sits on the board.

Eastley again broached the subject telling The

Mirror, “I remember during that agenda item when I

asked him directly if he was selling his business and

he said no but he had been approached.”

When contacted previously by The Mirror, Bady

noted that he was still the medical supervisor and in

charge of the practice. However, prices had risen $25

with Bady laying blame on HealthCare Partners noting

that it was in charge of billing. After The Mirror drew

attention to the issue, prices returned to their previous

rate.

Contact author Caitlyn May by emailing

caitlyn.pahrumpmirror@gmail.com