Ex-CEO of hospital, doctor convicted of illegal drug scheme

A former northeast Georgia hospital CEO and a doctor were convicted of more than 100 federal charges for illegally prescribing thousands of doses of pain medications. Dr. James Heaton, 63, of Blairsville, and John Michael Gowder, 61, of Nashville, Tenn., were found guilty after a two-week trial of prescribing pain killers outside the usual course of professional practice and for no legitimate medical purpose, U.S. Attorney Bjay Pak said in a news release. Gowder was the CEO of Union General Hospital in Blairsville when Heaton illegally prescribed him increasing amounts of pain medications, such as oxycodone and hydrocodone between 2011 and 2016, the release said.

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