Medicare Enrolled

Dr. Richard Fitzsimmons, FNP

Physician Assistant · El Centro, CA
Practice pattern: Clinical Cardiology — Primarily office-based clinical cardiology
Low-engagement
1550 SOUTH IMPERIAL AVENUE, El Centro, CA 92243
7603392802
In practice since 2006 (19 years)
NPI: 1275550709 verify on NPPES ↗
Very High
DATA COVERAGE
Data in 4 of 4 federal sources
Measures public federal data availability — not provider quality
Informational, not a quality rating. This page presents federal public records about Dr. Fitzsimmons from CMS (NPPES, Open Payments, Medicare Provider Utilization, PECOS). It is not medical advice, an endorsement, or a judgment of clinical quality. Always consult the provider directly and a licensed clinician for medical decisions. Read methodology →
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What this data tells you about Dr. Fitzsimmons

Dr. Richard Fitzsimmons is a physician assistant in El Centro, CA, with 19 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Fitzsimmons performed 1,646 Medicare services across 1,038 unique beneficiaries.

Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Fitzsimmons received a total of $1,134 from 16 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 64 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in physician assistant. Most payments are for meals and travel — low-value interactions common across virtually all practicing physicians. Patients may wish to discuss these relationships with their provider.

The Data Coverage level for Dr. Fitzsimmons is Very High — reflecting how much public federal data is available about this provider. Patients are encouraged to use this data as one of several factors when choosing a healthcare provider.

✓ 19 years in practice ▲ Top 6% volume in CA $1,134 industry payments

Medicare Practice Summary

Medicare Utilization ↗
1,646
Medicare services
Top 6% in CA for physician assistant
1,038
Unique beneficiaries
$36
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · How to read this →
~87 Medicare services per year of practice

Top procedures by volume

Ranked by number of services performed for Medicare patients. Avg. submitted charge is what the provider billed; avg. Medicare payment is what CMS paid.

Procedure Volume Avg. paid Avg. submitted
Office visit, established patient (20-29 min)
An office visit for an existing patient lasting between 20 and 29 minutes. The visit involves medical evaluation and management of the patient's condition.
593 $54 $175
Blood glucose test using reagent strip
A test that measures the level of sugar in the blood using a chemical reagent strip.
153 $5 $12
Advance care planning consultation, first 30 min
A session focused on discussing and documenting future healthcare preferences and goals. This service covers the initial 30 minutes of the planning discussion.
118 $63 $200
Drug injection, under skin or into muscle
A procedure involving the administration of a medication or substance via injection into the subcutaneous tissue or muscle.
81 $9 $45
Annual wellness visit, follow-up
A follow-up annual wellness visit that includes a personalized prevention plan of service.
81 $112 $224
Annual depression screening 81 $16 $35
Steroid injection (triamcinolone)
A 10 mg injection of triamcinolone acetonide, a corticosteroid medication. This code specifies the drug and dosage administered.
81 $1 $8
Hemoglobin A1c test (diabetes monitoring)
A blood test that measures your average blood sugar levels over the past two to three months.
65 $10 $35
Ketorolac injection, per 15 mg
An injection of ketorolac tromethamine, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, administered in doses measured per 15 mg.
56 $0 $6
Routine 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG)
A test that records the electrical activity of the heart using at least 12 leads to produce a tracing.
51 $5 $30
EKG interpretation and report
A standard electrocardiogram test that records the heart's electrical activity using at least 12 leads. The service includes a professional interpretation of the results and a written report.
51 $5 $35
Limited abdominal ultrasound
A focused ultrasound examination of the abdomen to evaluate specific organs or areas. This procedure uses sound waves to create images of internal structures.
43 $59 $199
Annual alcohol misuse screening, 5 to 15 minutes 40 $16 $35
Automated urinalysis
An automated laboratory test performed on a urine sample to analyze its chemical and physical properties. The procedure uses machinery to detect various substances and cells within the urine.
29 $2 $8
Fecal immunochemical test (FIT), 1-3 simultaneous
A screening test that uses a stool sample to detect hidden blood in the feces, helping to identify potential colorectal cancer.
20 $18 $35
Vitamin B-12 injection
An injection of vitamin B-12 (cyanocobalamin) with a dose of up to 1000 mcg.
19 $1 $10
Office visit for established patient
An office visit for an existing patient that may not require the healthcare professional to be present.
15 $14 $45
Flu vaccine administration
This procedure involves the administration of the influenza virus vaccine. It covers the process of delivering the vaccine to the patient.
15 $27 $45
Flu vaccine, high-dose
High-dose seasonal influenza vaccine for adults aged 65 and older. Contains four times the antigen of standard-dose flu vaccines (60 mcg per strain), split-virus formulation, preservative-free, single-dose syringe.
14 $71 $75
Office visit, established patient (30-39 min)
A follow-up office visit for an existing patient lasting between 30 and 39 minutes. The visit involves medical evaluation and management of the patient's condition.
14 $73 $200
Bladder ultrasound after voiding
An ultrasound scan performed after urination to measure the amount of urine remaining in the bladder.
13 $8 $60
Dexamethasone injection (steroid)
An injection of dexamethasone sodium phosphate, a corticosteroid medication, administered in a dose of 1 milligram.
13 $0 $2
How to read this data: This reflects Medicare patients only (typically 65+). Payment amounts are what Medicare paid the provider, not your out-of-pocket cost. A higher procedure volume generally indicates more experience with that procedure.

Industry Payment Transparency

Open Payments through 2024 ↗
$1,134
Total received (2021-2024)
Avg $283/year across 4 years
Top 23% in CA for physician assistant
A higher payment rank reflects disclosed industry relationships (consulting, research, speaking) common among subspecialists — not wrongdoing.
16
Companies
64
Individual payments
All payments are legal and publicly reported · Not evidence of wrongdoing · How to interpret →

Payment profile

Industry payments classified by relationship type. Not all payments are equal — research and consulting reflect different relationships than speaking programs or meals.

Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$1,134 (100.0%)

Payment trend by year

Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

2024
$345
2023
$288
2022
$148
2021
$354

Payments by company (2024)

Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
ABBVIE INC.
$250
Abbott Laboratories
$25
GlaxoSmithKline, LLC.
$19
Novo Nordisk Inc
$19
PFIZER INC.
$18
Seqirus USA Inc
$14
Top 3 companies account for 85.3% of 2024 payments
All-time payments by company (2021-2024) ›
ABBVIE INC.
$301
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$183
Novo Nordisk Inc
$160
GlaxoSmithKline, LLC.
$129
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
$75
Corcept Therapeutics
$55
AbbVie Inc.
$38
Lilly USA, LLC
$35
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
$31
Abbott Laboratories
$25
Esperion Therapeutics, Inc.
$24
PFIZER INC.
$18
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
$18
Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc.
$16
Seqirus USA Inc
$14
Kowa Pharmaceuticals America, Inc.
$12
Top 3 companies account for 56.8% of all-time payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
CREON · ENTRESTO · FARXIGA · Fluad · Kerendia · Korlym · LEQVIO · LYUMJEV · Livalo · NEXLETOL · NURTEC ODT · Ozempic · Rybelsus · SHINGRIX · Saxenda · TRADJENTA · TRELEGY ELLIPTA · TRULICITY · UBRELVY · VRAYLAR · Wegovy · XARELTO
Should you be concerned? Payments from pharmaceutical and device companies are legal and common — 57% of U.S. physicians receive at least one. They often reflect legitimate consulting, research, or education. What matters is whether a recommended drug or device appears in your doctor's payment records. If so, consider asking your doctor about it. How to interpret this data →

Most payments (100%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.

Looking for a physician assistant in El Centro?
Compare physician assistants in the El Centro area by procedure volume, costs, and industry payment transparency.
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Geographic Context

Physician assistants within 10 mi
29
Per 100K population
16.2
County median income
$56,393
Nearest hospital
EL CENTRO REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER
0.0 mi

Data Sources

Provider Registry NPPES Weekly updates
Medicare Enrollment PECOS Monthly updates
Practice Data Medicare Util. Annual (CY lag)
Industry Payments Open Payments CY 2024
Disciplinary History — Not public N/A

This provider has data in 4 of 4 available federal datasets, with a Data Coverage level of Very High. This reflects how much public data is available about a provider. How we calculate this →

Summary

Dr. Fitzsimmons is a clinical cardiology specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 6% in CA), with low-engagement industry engagement, with 19 years of NPI registration.

This summary is auto-generated from federal data, describing data availability and patterns. Read our methodology →

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Dr. Fitzsimmons experienced with office visit, established patient (20-29 min)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Fitzsimmons performed 593 office visit, established patient (20-29 min) services. Research suggests that higher procedure volume is often associated with better outcomes, particularly for complex procedures. Note that Medicare data only captures patients aged 65 and older, so the total practice volume across all patients is likely higher.
Does Dr. Fitzsimmons receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Fitzsimmons received a total of $1,134 from 16 companies across 64 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common among physicians — 57% of all U.S. physicians receive at least one industry payment. Patients may wish to ask their doctor about these relationships, especially if a recommended drug or device appears in the payment records.
How do Dr. Fitzsimmons's costs compare to other physician assistants in El Centro?
Dr. Fitzsimmons's average Medicare payment per service is $36. Note that these figures represent what Medicare pays, not your out-of-pocket cost, which depends on your specific insurance plan and deductible. Procedure-level data above shows both what was submitted and what Medicare paid for each service type.
What does Data Coverage mean?
Data Coverage (currently Very High for Dr. Fitzsimmons) measures how much public federal data is available about a provider. It is not a quality rating. A "Very High" or "High" level means the provider has data across multiple federal sources (NPPES, PECOS, Medicare Utilization, Open Payments), indicating a long track record of practice, Medicare participation, and industry disclosure. A "Low" or "Moderate" level may simply mean the provider is newer, does not see Medicare patients, or has not received any industry payments — none of which are inherently negative. Read our full methodology →
Is this data up to date?
Each data source has its own update cycle. Provider registry data (NPPES) is updated weekly. Medicare enrollment (PECOS) is updated monthly. Medicare practice data has a ~2 year lag — the most recent available is typically 2 years prior. Industry payment data (Open Payments) is published annually, usually in June, covering the prior calendar year. We display the data date prominently on each section so you always know how current it is. See our data freshness policy →
About this page

All data on this page is sourced verbatim from public federal records published by the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS): NPPES ↗, Open Payments ↗, Medicare Provider Utilization ↗, and PECOS. Publication is mandated by the Physician Payments Sunshine Act (§6002 ACA, 42 U.S.C. §1320a-7h) and the Freedom of Information Act.

This page is not medical advice, an endorsement, a recommendation, or a quality rating. Data Coverage reflects data completeness — how much federal information exists for this provider — not clinical performance, patient outcomes, or quality of care. Always verify information directly with the provider and consult a licensed clinician before making medical decisions.

Provider corrections: Provider portal · Privacy questions: Privacy Policy · Terms: Terms of Use · Methodology: Methodology

Data Disclaimer — Data sourced from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS): National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), Open Payments program, Medicare Provider Utilization and Payment Data, and Provider Enrollment & Certification data (PECOS). Published under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). This website is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or authorized by CMS, HHS, or the U.S. Government. Data may contain errors as reported to CMS by providers and reporting entities. Payments from industry are legal and do not indicate wrongdoing. Medicare data reflects only patients aged 65+ or those with qualifying disabilities. For corrections, contact CMS directly. This information does not constitute medical advice and should not be used as the sole basis for choosing a healthcare provider. Procedure descriptions use plain language and do not reference CPT® codes, which are copyrighted by the American Medical Association. Full methodology → · Report a data error → · Privacy policy →