HILO » Friends, patients and colleagues gathered on a Hilo street in a show of support for a doctor accused of improperly charging Medicaid for drug testing of pregnant women.

Dr. Frederick Nitta, an obstetrician, has helped deliver thousands of East Hawaii newborns but is accused of overbilling Medicaid by $1.2 million.

The federal health care program stopped reimbursing him in September, and he might have to close his practice.

Nitta said Saturday that he insists on testing pregnant women for up to 14 different substances to prevent them giving birth to babies affected by drug and alcohol abuse.

"My own son got addicted, and I had to deal with that," he said. "This is personal for me, and drugs are a big, big problem in this community."

Nitta said he administered drug kits and billed Medicaid using a specific code for three years. The issue should not be centered on him, he said, but on the additional attention needed for young, prospective mothers abusing controlled substances.

"Up to 40 percent of the pregnant women I’ve seen at one time tested positive for drugs," he said. "They (Medicaid) are saying it’s not medically necessary to screen pregnant women on drugs, and that’s painful to my soul."

Withdrawal from certain drugs can be life-threatening for babies, said Hilo Medical Center nurse Jody Bergfeld, who has worked with Nitta for years.

"If you’ve ever had to start an IV on a newborn and shoot them up for their first fix for the first time, that’s one time too many," she said with tears in her eyes. "Even one baby is too many."

Crystal Cabanatan, 26, was among the 50 people who turned out to support Nitta. She credited him with helping her kick an IV drug habit.

"I was seeing Dr. Nitta on a routine visit, and he tested me. … He shed tears in front of me. He made me open my eyes. … I’ve been clean for almost a year now," she said.

Hilo Medical Center Dr. Eric Helms, chairman of the hospital’s obstetrics division, said he came out to support his colleague and draw attention to the ways doctors are penalized for caring for their patients.

"From my own personal practice, I can say that drug use is a major issue in this community. It’s a real tragedy the way it affects pregnant women. Dr. Nitta has made a heroic effort in his practice to put a dent in that," he said. "He was just trying to use every tool at his disposal. I think he’s being unfairly punished for being brave enough to try to make a difference."

Department of Human Services investigator Kurt Kresta told Hawaii News Now earlier this month that his investigation found wrongdoing on Nitta’s part.

"The pattern of the numbers of drug kits he was billing the state for all seemed to indicate that it was in fact fraudulent," he said.

Results of a DHS hearing this month regarding the decision to withhold reimbursements are pending, Nitta said.