Dr. Harish Rengarajan is the new Chief Medical Executive for Sutter Delta Medical Center. Photo: Sutter Health
By Monique Binkley Smith, Manager, Media Relations, Sutter Health
Sutter Delta Medical Center is pleased to announce that Harish Rengarajan, M.D., MBA, will join the organization as its new chief medical executive on Monday, February 9. Dr. Rengarajan will work alongside Sutter Delta CEO Trevor Brand as a dyad partner, strengthening clinical leadership and supporting the hospital’s mission to serve the East Contra Costa community with compassionate, high‑quality care.
Dr. Rengarajan brings a strong background in medical education, clinical quality and physician engagement to his new role. He currently serves as program director for the Internal Medicine and Transitional Year Residency Programs at Sutter’s Alta Bates Summit Medical Center, where he has helped build and launch ACGME‑accredited training programs that integrate residents into frontline care. His leadership has supported physician development, enhanced care coordination and advanced safety and quality initiatives that benefit patients and care teams alike.
Before joining Sutter Health, Dr. Rengarajan served as associate chief medical officer at St. Mary’s General Hospital in New Jersey and held leadership roles with New York Medical College, St. Clare’s Health and Northwell Health in New York. Across these organizations, he led work to improve patient experience, reduce readmissions, streamline care teams, strengthen documentation integrity and build physician wellness programs. His career reflects a deep commitment to patient‑centered care and collaborative partnerships across clinical and administrative teams. (See Dr. Rengarajan’s LinkedIn profile for more details)
Dr. Rengarajan earned his medical degree from Pondicherry University in India, completed his internal medicine residency at Chicago Medical School and holds an MBA from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He is board certified in internal medicine.
Sutter Delta looks forward to welcoming Dr. Rengarajan as he steps into this key leadership role and continues the hospital’s ongoing work to support the health and well‑being of the Delta community.
Kaiser says allegations related to Medicare risk adjustment resolved
“The settlement agreement reached with the Department of Justice contains no admission of wrongdoing and addresses historical Medicare Advantage documentation practices.”
By U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of California
SAN FRANCISCO — Affiliates of Kaiser Permanente, an integrated healthcare consortium headquartered in Oakland, California, have agreed to pay $556 million to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by submitting invalid diagnosis codes for their Medicare Advantage Plan enrollees in order to receive higher payments from the government.
The settling Kaiser Permanente affiliates are Kaiser Foundation Health Plan Inc.; Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Colorado; The Permanente Medical Group Inc.; Southern California Permanente Medical Group; and Colorado Permanente Medical Group P.C. (collectively Kaiser).
Under the Medicare Advantage (MA) Program, also known as Medicare Part C, Medicare beneficiaries may opt out of traditional Medicare and enroll in private health plans offered by insurance companies known as Medicare Advantage Organizations, or MAOs. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) pays the MAOs a fixed monthly amount for each Medicare beneficiary enrolled in their plans. CMS adjusts these monthly payments to account for various “risk” factors that affect expected health expenditures for the beneficiary. In general, CMS pays MAOs more for sicker beneficiaries expected to incur higher healthcare costs and less for healthier beneficiaries expected to incur lower costs. To make these “risk adjustments,” CMS collects medical diagnosis codes from the MAOs. The diagnoses must be supported by the medical record of a face-to-face visit between a patient and a provider, and for outpatient visits, must have required or affected patient care, treatment, or management at the visit.
Kaiser owns and operates MAOs that offer MA plans to beneficiaries across the country. In a complaint filed in the Northern District of California in October 2021, the United States alleged that Kaiser engaged in a scheme in California and Colorado to improperly increase its risk adjustment payments. Specifically, the United States alleged that Kaiser systematically pressured its physicians to alter medical records after patient visits to add diagnoses that the physicians had not considered or addressed at those visits, in violation of CMS rules.
“More than half of our nation’s Medicare beneficiaries are enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans, and the government expects those who participate in the program to provide truthful and accurate information,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Today’s resolution sends the clear message that the United States holds healthcare providers and plans accountable when they knowingly submit or cause to be submitted false information to CMS to obtain inflated Medicare payments.”
“Medicare Advantage is a vital program that must serve patients’ needs, not corporate profits,” said U.S. Attorney Craig H. Missakian for the Northern District of California. “Fraud on Medicare costs the public billions annually, so when a health plan knowingly submits false information to obtain higher payments, everyone — from beneficiaries to taxpayers — loses. We have an obligation to protect the American taxpayer from waste, fraud, and abuse and we will relentlessly pursue individuals and organizations that compromise the integrity of the Medicare program.”
“The federal government supports the health care of millions of beneficiaries by paying hundreds of billions of dollars every year to Medicare Advantage Plans,” said U.S. Attorney Peter McNeilly for the District of Colorado. “Medicare relies on the accuracy of the information submitted by those plans. This resolution sends a clear message that we will hold health care plans accountable if they seek to game the system and pad their profits by submitting false information.”
“Deliberately inflating diagnosis codes to boost profits is a serious violation of public trust and undermines the integrity of the Medicare Advantage program,” said Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Scott J. Lampert at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “This outcome demonstrates HHS-OIG’s commitment to protecting Medicare through a unified approach — leveraging the expertise of our investigators, auditors, and counsel, alongside our law enforcement partners. We will continue to hold accountable any entity that seeks to compromise the integrity of the risk adjustment program.”
“Healthcare programs funded by the public are meant to support patients, not pad corporate bottom lines. False claims and the submission of fraudulent information weaken the Medicare system and place an unfair cost on American taxpayers who expect honesty and accountability,” said Special Agent in Charge Sanjay Virmani of the FBI San Francisco Field Office. “This settlement reflects the FBI’s continued commitment to holding accountable those who put profits over patients and abuse federal healthcare programs.”
The settlement announced today resolves allegations that, from 2009 to 2018, Kaiser engaged in a scheme to increase its Medicare reimbursements by pressuring physicians to add diagnoses after patient visits through “addenda” to patients’ medical records. The United States alleged that Kaiser developed various mechanisms to mine a patient’s past medical history to identify potential diagnoses that had not been submitted to CMS for risk adjustment. Kaiser then sent “queries” to its providers urging them to add these diagnoses to medical records via addenda, often months and sometimes over a year after visits. In many instances, the United States alleged, the diagnoses added by the providers had nothing to do with the patient visit in question, in violation of CMS requirements.
The United States further alleged that Kaiser set aggressive physician- and facility-specific goals for adding risk adjustment diagnoses. It alleged that Kaiser singled out underperforming physicians and facilities and emphasized that the failure to add diagnoses cost money for Kaiser, the facilities, and the physicians themselves. It also alleged that Kaiser linked physician and facility financial bonuses and incentives to meeting risk adjustment diagnosis goals.
The United States alleged that Kaiser knew that its addenda practices were widespread and unlawful. Kaiser ignored numerous red flags and internal warnings that it was violating CMS rules, including concerns raised by its own physicians that these were false claims and audits by its own compliance office identifying the issue of inappropriate addenda.
The civil settlement includes the resolution of certain claims brought in lawsuits under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by Ronda Osinek and James M. Taylor, M.D., former employees of Kaiser. Under those provisions, private parties are permitted to sue on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The qui tam cases are captioned United States ex rel. Osinek v. Kaiser Permanente, et al., No. 3:13-cv-03891 (N.D. Cal.) and United States ex rel. Taylor v. Kaiser Permanente, et al., No. 3:21-cv-03894 (N.D. Cal.). The relator share of the recovery will be $95 million.
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Northern District of California and the District of Colorado, with assistance from HHS-OIG, HHS-Office of Audit Services, and the FBI.
The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrate the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement, can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at www.oig.hhs.gov/fraud/report-fraud/ or 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
The matter was handled by Fraud Section Attorneys Braden Civins, Edward Crooke, Gary Dyal, Michael R. Fishman, Martha Glover, Seth W. Greene, Rachel Karpoff, Laurie Oberembt, and Jonathan Thrope, Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Lo for the Northern District of California, with the assistance of Jonathan Birch and Alan Lopez, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Traskos for the District of Colorado.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Kaiser Responds: Allegations Related to Medicare Risk Adjustment Resolved
On the organization’s website, Kaiser responded to the settlement with, “The settlement agreement reached with the Department of Justice contains no admission of wrongdoing and addresses historical Medicare Advantage documentation practices.
“Kaiser Permanente has reached a settlement agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice to resolve a dispute regarding certain documentation practices impacting some Medicare Advantage risk adjustment submissions between 2009 and 2018. The agreement resolves a False Claims Act lawsuit and has no admission of wrongdoing or liability. We chose to settle to avoid the delay, uncertainty, and cost of prolonged litigation.
“Multiple major health plans have faced similar government scrutiny over Medicare Advantage risk adjustment standards and practices, reflecting industrywide challenges in applying these requirements. The Kaiser Permanente case was not about the quality of care our members received. It involved a dispute about how to interpret the Medicare risk adjustment program’s documentation requirements.
“We remain unwavering in our mission to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve.”
Asked if any of the affiliates operate in Northern California and were any of the hospitals in Contra Costa County included, Elissa Harrington, Senior Media Relations & Public Relations Representative for Kaiser Permanente Northern California, did not respond.
Caregiver OneCall, an Antioch-based nonprofit, will host the All Our Love for Caregivers Gala on February 26, 2026, bringing together community leaders, advocates, and supporters to raise funds and awareness for caregiver support and expanded respite care across East Contra Costa County and the greater region. The event will be held at Center Concord, 5298 Clayton Road.
Caregiver OneCall was founded to support unpaid family caregivers who provide daily care for loved ones with dementia, disabilities, chronic illness, or complex medical needs. While caregiving affects families of all ages and backgrounds, many caregivers experience exhaustion, isolation, and burnout with little access to relief or guidance.
Funds raised through the gala will directly support expanded respite services, caregiver training, and real-time support for caregivers. Respite care allows caregivers temporary relief so they can rest, work, attend appointments, or simply recharge, helping prevent burnout and family crisis.
The evening will be celebratory while centering on the serious realities caregivers face. The program will feature lived caregiver stories and the recognition of individuals who have made a meaningful impact on caregivers and families in the community.
The gala will be emceed by Dave Clark of KTVU, longtime Bay Area media personality and caregiver advocate. Christina Irving of Family Caregiving Alliance will deliver the keynote address, sharing insights on the importance of caregiver support and policies needed. Debbie Toth, CEO of Choice in Aging, will be honored for her leadership and dedication to aging, individuals with disabilities, and caregiver services. The evening will also include a special musical performance and caregiver story shared by Anastacia Downey, award-winning Bay Area neo-soul artist and caregiver.
While rooted in Antioch, Caregiver OneCall serves caregivers throughout the region through partnerships with community organizations, ensuring caregivers are supported, informed, and never left to navigate care alone.
Community members, caregivers, leaders, and philanthropists are invited to attend, learn more about the importance of respite care, and support an organization strengthening families across the region.
Event Details
Event: All Our Love for Caregivers Gala
Date: February 26, 2026
Location: Center Concord, 5298 Clayton Road
Organization: Caregiver OneCall
Purpose: Fundraising and awareness to expand respite care and caregiver support
Service Area: East Contra Costa County and surrounding communities
Possible exposure in Walnut Creek Dec. 17- 19, 23, 24or LafayetteDec. 21
By Contra Costa Health
Contra Costa Health (CCH) is notifying the public of a confirmed case of measles in the county, identified on Dec. 24, 2025. The individual was contagious in public between Dec. 17 and Dec. 24, and people may have been exposed at the locations listed below.
Locations of potential measles exposure:
Dec. 17 or Dec. 19: Anthropologie, 1149 South Main St., Walnut Creek
Dec. 18: Macy’s, 1320 Broadway Plaza, Walnut Creek; ALO, 1292 Broadway Plaza, Suite 1106, Walnut Creek; Apple Store, 1200 South Main St., Walnut Creek
Dec. 21: STAT Med, 3799 Mount Diablo Blvd. #100, Lafayette
Dec. 23-24: Kaiser Permanente Walnut Creek Emergency Department, 1425 South Main St., Walnut Creek
People who were at these locations during the dates listed above may be at risk of developing measles, especially if unvaccinated, pregnant or immunocompromised. Measles can develop seven to 21 days after exposure. If you were at these locations during these times, you should confirm with your healthcare provider that you have been fully vaccinated against measles or have had measles infection in the past.
If symptoms develop, stay home and call your healthcare provider immediately before seeking care so they are prepared to take care of you. Those who have been symptom free for more than 21 days after being exposed are no longer at risk for developing measles.
A large majority of Contra Costa County residents are fully vaccinated against measles and have lifetime protection against infection. CCH encourages all eligible unvaccinated residents to get immunized against measles with two doses of the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine to ensure their protection. Measles is a highly contagious respiratory virus that can linger in the air or on surfaces for over an hour after the contagious individual leaves an area. This makes it even easier to spread to those who do not have protection. Also, a person can spread the virus to others even before they develop symptoms. Symptoms of measles include fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes and a rash that spreads over the body. Although the risk of contracting measles is low for those who are fully vaccinated, members of the public should be aware of the situation and watch for symptoms.
CCH is conducting contact tracing and notifying local healthcare providers to be vigilant for possible measles cases. CCH continues to monitor the situation and will provide updates if more information becomes available.
More information about measles can be found on our website.
Baby Jett Jester born January 1, 2026, with mom, Taylor Lisa and dad, Ryan Jester at Kaiser Permanente Antioch. Photos: Kaiser
By Elissa Harrington, Sr. Media Relations & PR Rep., Kaiser Permanente Northern California
Kaiser Permanente Antioch welcomed its first baby of the New Year when Jett Jester arrived at 12:44 a.m. on January 1, 2026.
Jett was born five weeks early, but his parents Taylor Lisa and Ryan Jester said he doesn’t look premature. He weighed in at 6 pounds, 11 ounces.
“It’s a New Year’s we will never forget,” said proud dad Ryan Jester. “We feel extremely blessed to have a healthy baby boy. We love him beyond words.”
Contra Costa County must prepare for significant reductions in Medi-Cal coverage and hundreds of millions of dollars in long-term funding loss as a result of recent federal and state policy changes, county officials said Tuesday.
New federal requirements under H.R. 1, the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” combined with state Medi-Cal eligibility and reimbursement changes, will make it harder for many residents to enroll in or keep healthcare coverage. While final details are still emerging, county estimates indicate that as many as 93,000 Contra Costa residents could be affected by 2029.
At the same time, Contra Costa Health (CCH) projects more than $300 million in cumulative state and federal funding reductions through 2029, driven by Medi-Cal disenrollment and cuts to supplemental funding that public hospitals rely upon. These impacts are expected to grow year over year and reflect a broader trend affecting counties and public health systems across California.
“These changes mean fewer people covered and fewer dollars coming into the system at the same time,” said Candace Andersen, Chair of the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors. “Our responsibility is to face that reality head-on, plan carefully, and ensure the county continues to provide essential care for residents who have nowhere else to turn.”
During a presentation to the Board on Tuesday, leaders of CCH and the county’s Employment & Human Services Department (EHSD) emphasized that the projected impacts are a result of external policy decisions, not local performance, and that significant uncertainty remains around timelines, enforcement and the response from California.
Federal guidance on several provisions of H.R. 1 has not yet been issued, and California’s approach to mitigating coverage losses is still evolving.
The presentation outlined how specific provisions of H.R. 1 and recent state Medi-Cal policy changes are expected to reduce enrollment, increase administrative barriers to coverage, and lower reimbursement to safety-net providers. It also reviewed projected enrollment losses, funding impacts to CCH and Contra Costa Health Plan, and the anticipated timing of changes, along with areas of ongoing uncertainty.
The Board directed CCH to return in early 2026 with a proposal to update and strengthen the county’s existing supports for people who are not eligible for Medi-Cal and have no other healthcare options.
Contra Costa County will share additional updates as federal and state guidance becomes available and planning continues.
Join local communities, friends and family take a step for health at the 49th Annual Holiday Run & Walk for Health – a memorial to Paul Schorr – at Contra Loma Regional Park, Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025.
Hosted by Kiwanis Club of the Delta-Antioch and Rotary Club of the Delta (Antioch), this cherished community event that promotes fitness and well-being was founded 49 years ago by Tom Torlakson, former Antioch Councilman, County Supervisor, State Assemblyman, State Senator and California Superintendent of Public Instruction. The event honors the legacy of Paul Schorr, a dedicated race director who passionately supported local runners as well as local Kiwanis and Rotary members, who passed away on April 12, 2023.
2013 Holiday Run 3-mile race participants begin. Herald file photo
Participants of all ages are encouraged to lace up their shoes and enjoy a day of fun camaraderie and holiday spirit. Come be a part of this time-honored tradition.
Race Schedule:
7:30 AM – Registration Opens
9:00 AM – 1 Mile 9:35 AM – 5K Run/Walk
10:15 AM – Kid’s Dash with Santa
Holiday Run Course Map.
The event is located at Contra Loma Regional Park – 1200 Frederickson Lane, Antioch. As you enter the park, you will stop at a parking booth. Tell them you are here for the Kiwanis/Rotary Run and they will tell you were to park. The race will take place in the parking lot of the swimming lagoon.
Frank Troia in a photo from Facebook posted on May 27, 2024 (left), and from the GoFundMe page (right).
Family raising funds for “proper service” of 59-year-old Frank Troia suffering from severe brain damage
By Allen D. Payton
The sister of Frank Troia, an Antioch homeless resident, who was injured in a fight with a younger homeless man earlier this month, has organized a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds for his funeral as he is not expected to survive his injuries. The suspect, 34-year-old Brandon Rowlett, was arrested for attempted homicide. (See related article)
On the GoFundMe page Frank’s sister wrote, “My name is Mary Troia. My brother, Frank Troia, was a victim of assault on November 17, 2025. He was beaten with a weapon and has been hospitalized since. He has severe brain damage and has not regained consciousness. The doctors are giving our family time to come to terms with end of life.
Frank suffered from mental illness and was unhoused at the time of the assault. It occurred in Antioch, CA, and was covered by the Antioch Herald and the East Bay Times. Unfortunately, Frank has no assets and I am asking for any donations to cover any costs associated with proper services. Donations of any amount would be appreciated by my family. God bless you, and if unable to donate, please remember Frank in your prayers.”
Asked about her brother, Mary shared about him and their family, “Frank did attend Antioch High School. However, he did not graduate with his Class of 1984. He got a G.E.D. Frank is the youngest of four children, my brother, John Myers, the oldest, myself, then my sister Janet Troia and he followed her. Frank has a 36-year-old son, Frank, Jr.”
Asked if he was a Marine Corps veteran due to the flag on the wall behind him seen in a photo from Facebook, she replied, “He was not a vet our stepfather was. He is still in critical condition at this time.”
