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Women accuse Arkansas psychiatrist of mistreatment as nearly 60 other ex-patients have filed a lawsuit against him

More than 50 of his former patients have filed separate lawsuits claiming Hyatt held them against their will.

Morgan Wrigley

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Published: 5:50 PM CST December 20, 2023
Updated: 6:50 PM CST January 9, 2024

Dr. Brian Hyatt, the former Arkansas State Medical Board chairman and former head of the behavioral health unit at Northwest Medical Center in Springdale, is now facing two counts of Medicaid fraud.

Three women who say they are former patients of Hyatt are sharing their experiences publicly for the first time.

This comes as nearly 60 of his former patients have filed separate lawsuits claiming Hyatt held them against their will to collect more money from the government.

Before the Rogers Police Department arrested Hyatt in October, he had been under investigation for months. An arrest affidavit says Hyatt claimed to treat patients he never saw and billed the state under the highest possible Medicaid code.

According to court documents, investigators found Hyatt’s Medicaid claims were so high that they skewed the averages on certain codes for the entire Medicaid program in Arkansas.

Along with these Medicaid fraud charges, a total of 58 separate lawsuits from former patients have been filed (as of Dec. 20) detailing alleged abuse under Hyatt’s care in the behavioral health unit at Northwest Medical Center Springdale. 

Hyatt stepped down from his position on the state medical board after the Medicaid fraud investigation began. In May 2023, a $1.1 million settlement was reached with Northwest and the Arkansas Attorney General's office.

Hyatt's contract with Northwest was terminated in May 2022. Up until that time he also owned a private psychiatry practice in Rogers. In November 2023, the practice suddenly shuttered, reportedly leaving his patients without access to their prescriptions.

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