The Division of Workers’ Compensation (DWC) has suspended 27 more medical providers from participating in California’s workers’ compensation system, bringing the total number of providers suspended to 234.

The most notorious on the list is Leland G. Whitson, a Redondo Beach physician, who was convicted in federal court in 2014 of making false statements affecting a health care program.

Whitson, who served as the medical/clinical director at Atlantic Health Services of Long Beach, participated in a scheme that enrolled high school and middle school students in its substance abuse counseling program without regard for the students’ medical necessity. Whitson surrendered his medical license in 2017.

Nine others on the list worked as substance abuse recovery counselors at Atlantic Health Services of Long Beach.

DOJ officials alleged that Atlantic Health Services was paid more than $46 million after it submitted false and fraudulent claims to the Medi-Cal program for group and individual substance abuse counseling services during a 10-year period through April 2013.

The indictment also alleged that Atlantic Health billed for services provided to students who did not have substance abuse issues and did not qualify for Medi-Cal, billed for counseling sessions that had not been conducted and falsified documents and forged student signatures on documents, among other allegations.

Seventeen other physicians on the DWC list were suspended as a result of the loss of their license to practice medicine. None of them were charged with crimes related to insurance fraud.

Many lost their licenses for being impaired as a result of drugs or health problems, gross negligence, sexual misconduct with patients or failing to comply with the terms of probation in prior disciplinary matters.