Prescription drug abuse touches many

Union County has 4th lowest tax rate in the state, a top 5 rated school system, an outstanding park, a top 100 rural hospital system and is a great place to raise your family and grow your business. Unfortunately, yesterday the DEA and local law enforcement raided that hospital and arrested 6 individuals.

As reported by the AJC:

“Mike Gower, CEO of the Union County General Hospital in Blairsville, was apprehended after a nine-month long, multi-state Drug Enforcement Agency investigation that involved fraudulent prescriptions painkillers, authorities said.

Union county deputies, DEA agents, and North Carolina law enforcement said they served six arrest warrants and in addition to Gower’s arrest, four of his family members and two doctors were apprehended in the sting.

One of the physicians, Dr. James Heaton was arrested at his Union County medical practice near the hospital and accused of writing fraudulent prescriptions painkillers. Police told Channel 2 that Heaton wrote more than 15,000 fraudulent prescriptions for painkillers, like oxycodone, for Gower over a three-year period.

Deputies hauled out truckloads of documents from the hospital, and said Gower is facing multiple prescription drug charges.”

Prescription drug abuse is a problem throughout our country and the actions of a few should not reflect poorly on an organization or area with which they are associated.

But it will.

Yesterday was not a good day for anyone in Union County or any employee of Union General Hospital. Today is a new day and we will get through this.#believeit.

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