Vytas Ringus

Past President Orthopaedic Society of Oklahoma. WPSL Medical Director, SCU, Rayo OKC (NASL), OKC1889 FC (NPSL), OKCFC (WPSL), OKCSpark

[Vytas Ringus @vringus]

It has not been my sports day. I do want to see this okc/spurs rivalry grow. Vibes of Bulls/Pistons. Also I’m now rooting for Declan to win the biggest title in the world @_DeclanRice

[Vytas Ringus @vringus]

Pretty cool; the Scottish one is too

[Men in Blazers @MenInBlazers]

NOTHING SUMS UP NEWCASTLE’S SEASON BETTER THAN THIS 🤯

[MLB Replays @MLBReplays_]

Astros vs White Sox game 2 of the 2005 World Series full 9th inning.

[Minor League Baseball @MiLB]

Like an inside-the-parker? How about a grand slam? What about both with one big swing?

@Dodgers No. 17 prospect Zach Ehrhard hustled his way to the rare feat for the Triple-A @OKC_comets: https://t.co/67vgYeb5It

[Adam Bruggeman, MD @DrBruggeman]

“I didn’t write those penalties.” - Pete Stark

The Stark Law prohibits a physician from referring patients to an entity in which they have a financial interest. That sounds neutral but it isn’t.

A hospital-employed orthopedic surgeon who refers every post-operative patient to the hospital’s owned SNF, physical therapy, imaging center, and home health agency has a financial interest in every one of those referrals. His salary, his productivity bonus, and his continued employment depend on staying within the system. None of that triggers Stark. The bona-fide employment exception covers it entirely.

An independent orthopedic surgeon who owns an MRI with two partners? Well, they would have to go through a full stark analysis and legal review with complex written arrangements and ongoing compliance infrastructure. One technical violation of Stark and the False Claims Act exposure is existential.

These scenarios show the same financial conflict with radically different legal treatment.

The consequences for patients are hard to ignore. A recent NORC survey found that 61% of employed physicians have moderate or no autonomy to make referrals outside their system, and nearly half said they adjust treatment options based on organizational incentives. Hospital employment doesn’t eliminate the financial conflict of the referral relationship. It just hides it inside a compensation structure Stark never touches.

Marc Greenberg, MD, an orthopedic surgeon in Baltimore, put it plainly in Becker’s this week: “We’ve created a system where for-profit entities can have healthcare ownership. But the people who took an oath to serve the patient — who’ve shown a commitment to caring — can’t.”

There is no federal prohibition on hospitals requiring employed physicians to refer within the system. No law prevents health systems from structuring compensation, call coverage, or scheduling to steer referrals to owned facilities. No equivalent of Stark governs the institutional referral relationship at all.

Congressman Stark was trying to protect patients from corrupted referrals. What his law produced was a system where the most powerful referral relationships in American healthcare are completely unregulated and the physicians most accountable to patients are the ones most restricted.

[Vytas Ringus @vringus]

@SoxSideJustin @BillSimmonbh Plus a no hitter AND a perfect game

[Vytas Ringus @vringus]

@Unive_FootBall Has NIL eliminated Cinderella?

[Vytas Ringus @vringus]

“Kansas has been scissoring their bigs”

[Vytas Ringus @vringus]

Slipping past its prime but still soooo good. Tastes of gauze and honey. Tobacco and notes blackberries. Lovely.

[University Foot-Ball @Unive_FootBall]

Year in review. Set a new record for most wins since we started four seasons ago picking every game ATS.

Come join us in August when we kick back off for the 2026 season.

[University Foot-Ball @Unive_FootBall]

We did it again, this past year we picked more than 50% of the games correctly while picking every college head to head FBS game!

Our free picks transparent record was 429-373 ATS for the 2025 season through the playoffs and bowls.

#collegefootball

[Oklahoma Basketball @OU_WBBall]

The King is in the building!

🫡 @Barry_Switzer

[Vytas Ringus @vringus]

1996 Chateau d’Armailhac - EXCELLENT. The Cab franc present, very mellow. Ready to drink now. Winery borders a first growth. Probably mirrors one. Total killer.

[Vytas Ringus @vringus]

Game outcome not withstanding, a Friday night, Christmas themed, home playoff game on a gorgeous evening the day students are let out for break is an incredible moment. NCAA got this right.

[Vytas Ringus @vringus]

At the Bedlam game at Paycom. It’s a cool round the two bands produce playing the fight songs at the same time.@OU_MBBall @OU_WBBall

[University Foot-Ball @Unive_FootBall]

Here's what the experts said but we had Indiana as our pick.

@IndianaFootball

[Vytas Ringus @vringus]

World Series games are intense. What an ending!

[Vytas Ringus @vringus]

Red River weekend is wild

[Vytas Ringus @vringus]

Liverpool/Bournemouth started it; tomorrow begins the next season of the greatest league in the world of sport.