The Department of Labor inspector general’s online challenge to Rochester (N.Y.) Regional Health over its resident physicians began with a post from an anonymous X account. As of Sept. 29, the health system said it had received no official communication from the department, Forbes reported.
The account, “Expose H1B Fraud,” claimed Sept. 26 that 80 of the 82 incoming residents at Rochester (N.Y.) General Hospital, part of the health system, were on H-1B or J-1 visas and that two were Americans. The claim has not been verified, Forbes reported.
Anthony D’Esposito, a former Republican congressman from New York who was confirmed as the department’s inspector general in December 2025, shared the post and pressed the health system for data.
“Show us the numbers. How many residency slots went to H-1B and J-1 visa holders? How many American applicants got a fair shot?” Mr. D’Esposito said in a post.
Mr. D’Esposito also said he would work with the White House task force to examine visa abuse, according to WHEC. Becker’s previously reported that the inquiry was tied to President Donald Trump’s Sept. 18 executive order on H-1B program integrity.
The original claim was posted alongside a video scrolling through photos of the resident class on the hospital’s medical education website, which lists residents’ medical schools but not their citizenship or visa status. By Forbes’ count, the incoming class graduated from medical schools in 22 countries, led by India with 20 and Pakistan with 12, followed by Sudan with seven and the United Arab Emirates and Nepal with four each. Two graduated from a U.S. school, Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine.
A foreign medical degree does not by itself indicate a visa. Of the 9,682 international medical graduates who matched to first-year positions in the 2026 Main Residency Match, 2,949 were U.S. citizens, according to Intealth ECFMG. Nationally, international medical graduates account for about 24.2% of active U.S. residents, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges.
Rochester Regional has not publicly answered Mr. D’Esposito’s questions. In a statement shared with Becker’s, a spokesperson said the system had not received any official communication from the Labor Department, but that it was proud to recruit and train qualified physicians who meet the standards of its accredited graduate medical education programs.
“At a time when physician and nursing shortages are challenging healthcare systems across the country, we remain focused on building a strong healthcare workforce to ensure our patients and communities have access to the care they need,” the spokesperson said.
Olivia Stone, senior media advisor for the Labor Department, Office of Inspector General, told Becker’s in a Sept. 29 statement that the organization does not comment on ongoing investigations, but is “taking the exploitation of American jobs very seriously.”
Local officials came to the system’s defense. State Sen. Jeremy Cooney, a Democrat whose district includes Rochester, thanked the health system in a tweet, local NBC affiliate WHEC reported.
“I’m proud to live in a community that values quality care and welcomes a diverse workforce. New York is facing a real shortage of healthcare providers, and families shouldn’t have to wait weeks to see a doctor,” Mr. Cooney said.
The inquiry adds to visa uncertainty for teaching hospitals. The Trump administration has proposed a $103,265 H-1B visa fee, and a federal judge this month blocked a Homeland Security rule that would have capped J-1 and other visas at four years.
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